A team building exercise at Sentry Insurance led to the donation of more than 2,600 food and household items to local food pantries during December for families in need.

The six-week team event, called “Can-Structure,” was hosted by Sentry’s National Accounts Client Services team. It culminated in early December with a celebration that featured seven sculptures crafted with the food and household items. The sculptures, which remained on display at Sentry’s headquarters in Stevens Point, were the work of some 92 builders divvied up into seven teams.

“The exercise did more than just produce impressive sculptures, it pulled together leadership and created a process in which accountability, purpose, talent, teamwork and trust were on display between individuals who do not normally work together,” said Bev Beigel, director of Client Services in Sentry’s National Accounts division.

“The team building event was by far the largest endeavor the Client Services team has embarked on,” she said. “That’s especially noteworthy given that it began just after another highly successful United Way campaign and right before the Christmas holiday.”

The sculptures passed expectations, she said.

“The imaginations of our associates went into overdrive,” Beigel said. “I don’t think that anyone really expected the level of creativity that was seen with the sculptures.”

“Take, for instance, Team Ferris Wheel’s ‘Sentry Family Festival’ sculpture. It featured, in part, a functioning metal Ferris wheel and seats that contained a photo of each team member,” she said.