WAY Day : WAY to go, Team Intrax!
Named and created to honor the legacy of Intrax’s late founders, John Wilhelm And Takeshi Yokota, the Intrax Foundation launched WAY DAY as an annual day of giving. Each WAY Day, our teams will come together to reflect on the history and mission of Intrax as we make a positive impact in our local communities.
On Thursday, May 2nd, Intrax SF staff volunteered to build playhouses at the warehouse of Habitat for Humanity for Greater SF. These playhouses will be donated to community organizations serving children in need throughout the San Francisco area. Team Intrax built 5 total playhouses during our First Annual Way Day.
Arriving by rideshare, car, and on foot; Intrax staff convened at Habitat for Humanity to participate in the event. Nearly the entire staff from Intrax San Francisco headquarters gathered. Intrax volunteers were divided into five teams, then each team was tasked with a unique theme for designing their playhouse:
- Team 1: Children around the World
- Team 2: The Hungry Caterpillar
- Team 3: Garden Gate with Flowers and Veggies
- Team 4: Firehouse/Fire Truck
- Team 5: Forest
After a safety briefing, where we also learned about Habitat for Humanity and the amazing work they do in communities, the teams got to work. Each team had two roofers and two designers, with the remaining team members assigned to work on construction and painting. The entire warehouse was buzzing with energy: drilling, hammering, talking, painting, laughing and the occasional “OMG”! Dust was flying, paints were being mixed, and playhouses started to take shape. The creativity and talent in our groups was impressive. Teamwork is the best way to describe the day. The designers had support from the drillers and the painters had help from the designers.
“I had a great experience building playhouses with Habitat for Humanity! Not only was I able to meet some new people from various teams, but it was fun to see each person’s different strengths and excitement contributed. This was a fun practice in creativity, teamwork, and collaboration while making a meaningful impact on our community.” - Camille (Intrax IT)
Sandi (Ayusa) reflected on the group service project saying, “The event was a fun way for us to connect, be creative, and give back to the community while honoring the founders of Intrax. Thank you for a great time!“
The teams were made up of cross-department staff. Although we work in the same office, we do not always have a chance to engage with others outside of our own team. Building the playhouses together certainly broke the barriers. The experience allowed for a unique opportunity to get to know our co-workers and to learn about their hidden talents and interests outside of work. Teams worked together and helped members finish tasks.
Brandon (Intrax Global Internships) said, “It was such a pleasure giving back to the community in a tangible way. The team had a great time, and we hope we can do it again in the future. We don’t often have the chance to collaborate with colleagues from other lines of business, so it was great to work together on the playhouses. Thank you for organizing a wonderful day of team building.”
“It was great learning about Habitat for Humanity’s mission and being a part of their initiatives. All the teams did such a great job on their playhouses! Our team had a fun time building/painting together and it was nice to work with colleagues from other departments. I really enjoyed giving back to our community and hope to be a part of more events in the future.“ - Meghan (Intrax Global Internships)
Teams worked feverishly to complete their tasks, ignoring the lunch call because they just “needed one more minute.” Finally, our dedicated group of volunteers were told “brushes and drills down now”! With Paint and dust in their hair, everyone sat outside in the warm sun and had a 30-minute lunch break but were anxious to get back to work.
After four busy hours, the playhouses were built to specification. Each team and their playhouse took center stage for rounds of cheers, awards, and applause. All the playhouses looked amazing and teams felt accomplished to have built them together with our own hands! TEAMWORK!
“Teamwork turned into a masterpiece! The energy crackled as each team raced to build and paint the most picture-perfect playhouse. It was a winning combo of team building and giving back, and the result left all participants and Intrax beaming with pride and Joy!” - Shailesh (Intrax IT)
The finished playhouses will go through final inspection before being handed over to the recipients. We sure hope they will enjoy the colorful and fun playhouses and wish the recipients years of joy.
"Our dedicated team of Intrax volunteers left the Habitat warehouse tired, but with fulfilled hearts. Most importantly, I’m honored to have worked alongside our team as we fostered new friendships together and felt a sense of accomplishment towards Intrax’s mission to connect and give back. John and Take would be proud," - Intrax President, Marcie Schneider.
To catch a glimpse of WAY Day in action, check out this video captured by our Intrax Media team. Thanks to all for making the day memorable and fun!
