Area Companies Take Advantage of 10k Bulk Registration
Many companies around RVA are using the Bulk Registration feature to get their employees fit, active, and ready for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k.
By: Pete Woody
Quick question: what do the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k and taxes have in common?
Done thinking?
At first glance, it would appear the answer is, “not much.”
But to the employees at Heritage Wealth Advisors, training for and running in the March 29th event gives them a welcome break, both physical and mental, from the stresses of preparing tax returns for numerous clients around the area. Heritage is one of the many companies in the Richmond area that takes advantage of the 10k Bulk Registration feature to pay for race entries for its staff. Employees at the firm say participating together is important for them and an extension of the work that goes on in the office.
“The 10k provides an opportunity for us to work as a group to train and run together,” said Jay Jordan, Director of Investments at Heritage Wealth. “It’s a great way to get outside the office and blow off some steam from the stresses of work, especially as tax season gets closer in the spring.”
Heritage Wealth has a staff of 15 people, so the company purchases enough entries for every employee plus one other person to participate in the 10k. “We are a full-service, family-oriented office, for our staff and our clients,” said Dee Ann Remo, the CEO and Managing Director at Heritage. “Participating in the 10k allows everyone to take part in one way or another, whether that’s running, walking, cheering, or handing out water.”
Jordan is proof of the family-oriented feel of the office, as he ran with his daughters Mason, 16, and Caroline, 14, in the 2013 10k, an experience that proved to be very memorable. “We all started together, and Mason eventually went ahead of us,” Jordan recalled. “So it was the first time that Caroline and I had run together…it’s a fun event to run with your child and watch them push themselves, to go through the process of running that distance for the first time.”
Jay Jordan (middle) with daughters Mason (l) and Caroline (r)
This is the second year that Heritage Wealth has used the bulk registration option, and the firm has made it a part of their wellness initiative. “We institute smaller programs throughout the year, and training for and running the 10k was a graduation from our weekly competitions, such as walking challenges to see who covered the most steps,” Remo said. “We see a direct correlation between good physical and mental health in our staff when they’re active. Participating in the 10k is another step towards the overall wellness of our company.”
Apex Systems, an IT staffing firm, is another of the more than 50 area companies taking advantage of the bulk registration option. The Innsbrook-based company has 225 employees in the Richmond area and is using bulk registration for the second straight year. Janet Ezell, Health and Welfare Plans Manager for Apex, said the race entries are a great motivator to get people fit and active.
“We want our employees to challenge themselves and improve their wellness all year long,” Ezell said, and preparing for the 10k in the winter and spring ties into that concept. “If our employees want to participate, the cost is definitely not a deterrent because the company is picking up the registration fee.”
Ezell says that wellness is a lifestyle and state of mind at Apex, and she is a great example of that. The first time she took part in any company initiatives was an annual walking challenge where employees aimed to get at least 10,000 steps a day, which then led to a 5k, then on to her first 10k in 2013. “That is how it has started for many of our employees,” she said. “You continue to build and challenge yourself. So the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k serves as a means for our employees to continue to motivate themselves, and have some fun along the way.”
For Heritage Wealth Advisors and Apex Systems, and many other companies in the Richmond area, the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k is one of the best possible ways to encourage wellness for employees and provide an opportunity to take part in an exciting experience.
“It’s a pretty low-cost way to emphasize physical fitness as well as the importance of teamwork, while also bringing people together,” said Remo, and Ezell echoed that sentiment. “It not only gives us the opportunity to participate in a great event,” she said, “but it keeps the importance of wellness and a healthy lifestyle in front of our employees.”
For more information and registration for the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, visit www.sportsbackers.org. The registration fee is currently $35, but will increase to $40 on February 1st.