Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce's 2023 Corporate Cup
Aug. 3—DICKINSON — Don't be confused, Stu Black is the man. And Stu joined coach-extraordinaire Michell Orton and roughly 100 other characters and competitors to enjoy a series of challenges at the second-annual Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce's 2023 Corporate Cup at Dakota Community Bank and Trust's Astoria Field on Wednesday, Aug. 3, and all that were apparent were smiles on the faces of so-many participants.
"It was a blast, and unfortunately we heard about it last year but couldn't get in, and we saw it come around again and I reached out to the manager and said 'We should do this,' and here we are with a team, got shirts made up and it was a blast," Black said. "We did it a couple times in Williston, and it was cool to see Dickinson start this."
Black is the area sales manager of Champion X, which is an oilfield service company, and they have more than 1,000 employees with the main office based out of Houston, Texas.
The Bravera Bank team, coached by community banking specialist Michelle Orton, wound up winning the event with 1,525 points, which she said was a hallmark of what the Dickinson community represents, along with the business community of Southwest North Dakota. Bravera also was the fastest team in the obstacle course segment of the Cup.
"I think it goes back to what Bravera represents, and we truly believe in community and so when we get to participate in events like this we want to be a part of it," Orton said. "It's a fun way to be outdoors.
Bravera helps sponsor the recently completed Sanford Softball Complex, and that plays a role in their approach to sports in Dickinson, she added.
"That's a huge part of the community concept that we believe in, and the more we can give to our community, it shows how important it is for growth and our youth is our future," she said.
With pretty-much all the 14 teams' companies represented on the advertising banners on the outfield wall at Dakota Community Bank & Trust's popular South Dickinson field, the fence served as a metaphorical loop around the city's athletic and business pursuits. It also was a way to recognize the intrinsic relationship between both, and Badlands Big Sticks owner Dave Ouellette was mindful of the connection.
"It's fun being a part of the community events we have in town, and this is a really cool event the Chamber started doing last year and hopefully we can continue doing it on an annual basis and just keep it growing," Ouellette said. "It's a great fit. A lot of these businesses are partners with the Big Sticks already at this point and everything we can do to make it work smoothly makes us feel good."
Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carter Fong added that there is no better way for both to intertwine, and the nature of the event is one he hopes will only grow in the future.
"Great event, very similar in terms to last year with the number of teams," he said. "Our mission at the Chamber is to connect the businesses with the community and who does that better than the Badlands Big Sticks?"
He also applauded the Big Sticks on their recently completed season, and while they finished just outside of playoff contention the team is an important part of the Dickinson community.
He added, "I hope the teams had a positive, team-building experience, the teams get to know each other all morning long by competing in fun contests and for us we want to show what Dickinson is capable of if the business community unites."
Fong recognized the Big Sticks intern team of young people because they went everywhere they were needed and helped maintain the flow. "We hope they had a great experience in Dickinson, with the business community and they were awesome today," he said.
As for the teams, all one could see were smiles all-around. The joy was apparent across all competitions, be they trivia, kickball, cornhole, tug-of-war or the obstacle course, the team-building exercise dotted a lot of "I's" and crossed more than a few "T's".
The 14 teams set aside time from their work-schedules to participate in the challenges, and people stayed around for the awards ceremonies and applauded the efforts of their colleagues.
The final results turned in Bravera's favor, with Sax Motor Company finishing second with 1,375 points, Consolidated finishing third with 1,200 and Dakota Community Bank & Trust winding up in fourth after taking the tiebreaker with Champion X at 1,175. The Badlands Big Sticks intern team earned a well-deserved honor as the "spirit team" for coming in with a solid effort that helped the event run smoothly.
Also, it served as a way for those from the Stark County Sheriff's Office to show their support, while meeting people from the community they serve, Sheriff Cory Lee said.
"Any event like this, where we can interact with people outside of the badge or the uniform is always good," he said. "I think we do a pretty good job of that, as far as having a good interaction and a good persona with the public, but things like this always help. It gives people a chance to get to know us."
The rest of the results saw RLK Enterprises with a sixth-place 1,100, Stark County Association of Deputies at 950, Dacotah Bank had the best trivia score and earned 925 points, Western Cooperative Credit Union with 875 and tied with the DSU Heritage Foundation, the Badlands Big Sticks Interns at 850, Chamber Volunteers in 12th with 800 points edging outGate City Bank's 750 and Brady, Martz & Associates coming in 14th with 475.
For more information about the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce, please visit
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