Across workplaces of all sizes and sectors, organizations are continuing to look for meaningful ways to bring people together. Team connection, employee well-being, and community impact are no longer separate priorities. Increasingly, they are intertwined.
The Desjardins Charity Challenge at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend provides a natural next step for business organizations looking to engage their teams.
The Desjardins Charity Challenge invites organizations to form corporate teams, participate in one of Canada’s biggest and best multi-day running events, and raise funds for causes that matter to their employees and their communities. While Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is the most visible moment, the real impact begins long before participants reach the start line.
Turning colleagues into teammates
For many organizations, forming a Desjardins Charity Challenge team starts with simple goals: Do something together. Support a cause. Encourage movement and connection.
What follows is often something much more powerful.
“Participating in events outside of work is a wonderful way to bring people together, regardless of team working hours or location, to do something fun and get to know one another,” says the Ottawa Mission’s Virginia Dodsworth. “This helps strengthen a sense of community amongst staff. We benefit not only as participants of the race weekend, but as beneficiaries of some of the fundraising. What an amazing way to get active – doing something fun for an amazing cause.”
As teams prepare for Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, training plans, group walks, and shared fundraising efforts become natural opportunities for connection. Employees who may not typically work together find common ground, and a shared goal begins to shape a stronger sense of team identity.
A team experience that builds over time
Unlike one-off team building activities, the Desjardins Charity Challenge unfolds over weeks and months. It creates space for relationships to grow gradually through encouragement, accountability, and shared progress.
When leaders take part alongside their teams, the experience can be especially impactful. Training and race day participation help create a sense of shared effort that is carried back into the workplace.
“Leadership and management involvement play a significant role in driving participation and engagement within corporate teams,” explains Danielle McCarthy of the Perley Foundation. “When leaders actively take part, it sends a strong message of support and encourages staff to get involved. At Perley Health, management participation often leads to the formation of departmental sub-teams.
“While everyone remains united as part of Team Perley Health, departments are able to organize their own activities and foster friendly competition with one another. This not only boosts engagement but also strengthens team spirit across the organization.”
Inclusive purpose that reaches beyond the workplace
At the heart of the Desjardins Charity Challenge is fundraising for charitable organizations. Corporate teams raise funds on behalf of a charity of their choice, transforming individual participation into meaningful community impact.
This connection to purpose is often what motivates employees to get involved and stay engaged. The effort put into training and fundraising feels more meaningful when it supports a cause that reflects shared values.
With a variety of event distance options offered during the race weekend, from the Ottawa 2K to the marathon race, the Desjardins Charity Challenge is designed to be accessible. Employees can participate in ways that suit their comfort level and experience.
This flexibility allows organizations to create teams that reflect their entire workforce, making it easier for more people to take part regardless of fitness background.
Why teams choose to return
Many organizations return to the Desjardins Charity Challenge year after year.
“My advice is simple: do it,” adds Perley Health’s McCarthy. “Registering a corporate team is an excellent way to increase your organization’s visibility and showcase the important work you do. The Challenge helps foster strong, lasting relationships while offering a fun and engaging way to strengthen stewardship and community connections.”
Participants often speak about stronger connections, a renewed focus on wellness, and pride in contributing to a shared goal. For new teams, the most common advice from returning participants is to focus on the experience and allow momentum to build naturally.
“The Desjardins Charity Challenge brings our community together in a meaningful way to support The Ottawa Hospital while experiencing the incredible energy of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend,” says Shelley McLean, development officer, philanthropy at The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
“Each year we see dedicated returning teams, along with new corporate, family, and community groups, join because they see the real impact their fundraising has on the future of healthcare, including our new hospital campus. Many fundraise because of a personal connection and a shared commitment to the Campaign to Create Tomorrow, which will benefit generations to come. For many, this event has become a long-standing tradition, and we are thankful to the hundreds who participate each year and to Desjardins for their leadership and support.”
An invitation to business organizations everywhere
With race weekend registration underway, organizations can now sign up for the Desjardins Charity Challenge. Creating a corporate team is an opportunity to strengthen workplace culture, support meaningful causes, and provide employees with a shared experience that extends beyond the office.
For organizations looking to bring people together with purpose, the starting line is ready and waiting. Visit the Desjardins Charity Challenge to learn more and to sign up.