One point stood between the two finalists for the second annual La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP) Olympics on the evening of Thursday, May 18. Despite Horizon Bank’s best efforts, the trophy fell into the hands of the City of La Porte, who accepted the award and every bragging right that came with it on Friday, May 19.
The rivalry between the City of La Porte and Horizon Bank has been a part of the LEAP Olympics since its inception. Last year Horizon narrowly pushed ahead of the competition and claimed the trophy. Horizon’s win in last year’s Olympics left the City of La Porte hungry for victory – and it paid off.
While competition among teams is fierce, the atmosphere within each team is completely unified. The City of La Porte brought its A-game to seven of the eight events throughout the week, and despite missing out on possible points in the kickball tournament, the team placed either first or second place in every other event, racking up an impressive amount of points at the end of the week.
“Last year we came up just a little bit short of Horizon Bank, and then this year to take it from them by one point was definitely enjoyable. We don't see each other on a daily basis, but we all work for the same city, so it's good to reconnect with other departments during the different events,” said Robert Metcalf, captain of the La Porte Police Department.
The interdepartmental teamwork was a highlight of the event for several members of the City of La Porte team, but the collaboration among teams was also a notably positive experience for LEAP Workforce Development Coordinator Erik Nelson.
“All the teams that compete are members of LEAP, so we interact with them throughout the year in different ways, but getting them all in one space, getting to talk to them, seeing them talk with each other, and seeing that camaraderie of local businesses and the city is a lot of fun,” Nelson said.
The inaugural LEAP Olympics featured 14 businesses competing for the trophy. This year’s participant list was largely increased, with 16 companies competing in much larger teams than the previous year.
This year, teams did not hold back from their competitors, and the friendly competition was nearly tangible during each night of the competition.
“Last year, I think people didn't really know what to expect, so there was a little bit of hesitancy where people were holding back on their competitiveness,” Nelson said. “This year was absolutely great though. Everyone was excited and having a good time laughing and joking and having some friendly competition. There was a little banter back and forth, some smack talk, and the vibes were great and people had a good time.”
There were eight activities in total, with two per day from Monday, May 15, to Thursday, May 18. Monday’s activities were ring toss and bowling, and Tuesday featured kickball and Euchre. Wednesday’s events were both held at the YMCA with a three-point shootout and a friendly game of dodgeball. Thursday’s events closed out the competition week with cornhole and trivia.
“We had a lot of fun. Everybody was really knowledgeable and the questions were fun – they were all about La Porte. That was a really enjoyable evening, and it was all around a great event. LEAP works really hard, and I think it's a good community event,” City of La Porte Administrative Assistant Anette Loeffler said.
Loeffler and Metcalf were both members of the unstoppable City of La Porte team during trivia night. Although winning the title and trophy was an exciting part of the event, Metcalf feels that the camaraderie among teams and their members is what really makes the LEAP Olympics special.
“It's a great program. The LEAP Foundation is outstanding for what they do for the community. La Porte is a quiet, tight-knit town, and it's good leadership. I’m proud to work here and to be part of my department,” Metcalf said.
To learn more about the City of La Porte, visit cityoflaporte.com.
To learn more about the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP), visit laportepartnership.com.