SPARK: Service, Passion, Adventure, Respect, Kindness

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

SPARK (an acronym for Service, Passion, Adventure, Respect, Kindness) was developed and launched as a summer-time management team initiative. The program was designed to further enhance the team’s passion for service during the off-season. Managers were invited to participate in three different service-related initiatives:

1) Spark Inspiration (Our summer reading selection was “The Happiness Advantage”.)
2) Spark Growth (Volunteer five or more hours per month to a local community organization of your choice.)
3) Spark a Healthy Choice (Our ‘go-to’ PhD Nutritionist led monthly informative programs designed for our management team & our high-demand environment.)

The summer program was created to support both personal and professional wellbeing, from enhancing their personal commitment to health and wellness, to volunteering time and talent within our local community, and expanding their minds through the inspiring summer read.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

We had 27 active participants, which contributed more than 250 volunteer hours to their communities over the summer. We received extremely positive feedback from our management team, many of whom continue to provide volunteer hours within the community and several now have family members joining in. Some team members even adopted furry family members as a result of their outreach. Others found new inspiration to improve their own department performance and morale to maximize the potential of their team. We are very pleased with the outcome and are already looking forward to next summer’s SPARK program.