We’re having an active year here at B-K Lighting + TEKA Illumination. Our Walking Works program is in full swing and we’re getting in more steps than ever. Our March Madness Basketball, Ping Pong and Cornhole tournaments crowned champions from the Lighting Department, Planning, Customer Service and Machine Shop, and our Nite Stars Softball team just began its second season.

With all this movement, it was only natural that we incorporate a four-round obstacle course competition into our annual Company Picnic at Wonder Valley Ranch in Sanger, California on August 19.

12 teams participated and employees had to (literally) jump through hoops to make it through the first round. Charging through a tire stomp, football toss, tunnel crawl and crazy cup stepper thingies, only six teams were able to advance to Round 2. After the second round ended with dumping a giant bucket of water on selected team members’ heads, three teams were left to compete in a Blind Canoe race.

Yes, blind canoe.

In this leg of the competition, two blindfolded paddlers took direction from a third team member in a race to circle a small lake– a feat not easily conquered by even the strongest of participants. Needless to say, onlookers were quite surprised to watch as our fearless leader, President Nathan Sloan, along with wife Lauren and son Drew, crashed full force into a deck wall. It was this mishap that lead Technical Sales guru Craig Reed and his family to dominate the Blind Canoe round. And since Powder Coater extraordinaire Roxanne Ybarra and her family tipped and sunk their boat at the start of the race, it was the Sloans and the Reeds heading to the final round: Tug-O-War.

In a five-on-five final battle, the Sloans pulled the Reeds beyond their obstacle threshold, and thus were festooned with leis as picnic victors.

The Reed Family took second place in the Backyard-A-Lympics Obstacle Course.

President Nathan Sloan and our Machine Shop’s Robert Salazar galloped their way to first place in our annual Horseshoes Tournament!

Aside from the obstacle course, employees enjoyed horseshoes, water slides, swimming, bingo and more importantly, a casual and fun-filled day out of the office.