When a group of leaders from various industries comes together to empower local youth, they realize that they share more in common than their companies might suggest.

Avnet Inc. Brings Together Community Leaders to Build a Stronger Future

When you think of company team building, a group of business leaders from the same corporation typically come to mind. But this event wasn’t your average team building session. Spearheaded by Avnet Inc., a worldwide distributor of electronic components and embedded solutions, the participants were members of the Association of Continuity Planners (Central Arizona Chapter), a group of community individuals that join forces for a common cause: to invest in their community.

The group meets on a monthly basis at New Pathways for Youth, a local non-profit that helps area kids and youth achieve their fullest potential. Each of the group members works in difficult situations where communication is critical, such as disaster recovery or emergency response. Avnet Inc. saw no better way to help strengthen these skills than by hosting a shared team building event that also contributed to the ACP’s charitable cause.

Building Bicycles for Youth in Phoenix, AZ

The group of about 35 participants gathered at the New Pathways for Youth meeting room just a few weeks prior to Christmas. Since this would likely be their last meeting before the new year, they wanted to ensure it left a lasting impact on their community.

They selected Magnovo’s Bike-a-Thon as a core focus of the day’s events, which was accompanied by a group lunch and other activities. The group divided into teams that competed against each other to construct bicycles. The finished bikes would be donated to New Pathways for Youth.

Because of the nature of their professional work, the team members were no strangers to helping others. The end goal of donating the bikes seemed to fuel their competitiveness and kept each person engaged throughout.

At the end of the event, Hannah Rakestraw of New Pathways for Youth was eager to share her appreciation for their efforts. The non-profit group prides itself on providing mentoring and life skill development to area youth, and the bikes would certainly help to further their mission in helping every youth reach his or her potential.