Edwards Lifesciences’ employees know they make a difference in people’s lives every day. The company is well-known for its medical equipment. However, after participating in a Rescue Buddies™ program at their recent all-team meeting, these folks experienced helping people in a whole new way – by making stuffed animals to share with seriously ill children.
Edwards Lifesciences Has Fun and Gives Back
This group of about 215 people met up at the Hyatt Huntington Beach in Huntington Beach, CA. It was a full-on team meeting, with the participation of even company leaders like the VP of Global Clinical Affairs! People were really motivated by the idea of helping children, and eagerly got started by dividing into six teams.
Teams competed for the parts necessary to build stuffed animals. Some of our most popular games and challenges are Say What I Say, Air Counting, Mini Games, and Buddy Creation, and participants enjoyed them all. We worked with Edwards Lifesciences organizers to tailor these activities to company goals. The emphasis that day was on improving communication skills. We also taught folks strategies for working together and resolving conflict based on DiSC® personality styles through these games.
Each person gave these activities their all. The atmosphere was competitive yet supportive. It was great to see everyone so invested in working hard and having a good time. Even participating members the company leadership team immersed themselves in Rescue Buddies™!
California Kids Benefit from Rescue Buddies™
Miracles for Kids helps critically ill children and their families. We arranged for a representative of the group to join us at the conclusion of the Rescue Buddies workshop to accept the donation. When Tayah Wozniak arrived, she couldn’t get over just how many Rescue Buddies™ she’d be taking with her! She assured the everyone that each of the children her group worked with would be thrilled to receive such a carefully-made toy.
Ms. Wozniak talked with the participants about some of the kids and families who’ve been helped by Miracles for Kids. As many of the Edwards Lifesciences folks were parents, it was easy to see that Ms. Wozniak’s words had a big impact. That sentiment also came through in the debriefing session we wrapped up with. People said they were really happy to give back to kids and families in their community. They were also glad to have a chance to practice new interpersonal communication strategies in a meaningful way.