CHALLENGES

#1: At any point throughout the experience have each participant record their own video describing one of their favorite memories with Emily and send it to her either privately or in a group chat so everyone can reminisce. An alternative is to post one of your favorite pictures or videos of Emily on social media and describe why that memory is so meaningful. (This challenge is REQUIRED)

Connection Question For Challenge #1

#2: Acting and performing have been at the core of Emily’s life, and so many of you have shared that love with her. Get to the UpTown Theater and take a memorable group picture with the message written on the marquee. Then, because Disney movies and music are so inspirational to Emily, somewhere near the Theater do your best to recreate the Circle Of Life scene shown HERE. Emily has been cast as baby Simba, but everything else is up for grabs! Everyone should have a role and strive to give the performance of your lifetimes, lifting Simba into the air, making animal noises, singing or incorporating the actual music, etc.

Connection Question For Challenge #2

#3: Take a video of your group successfully completing the Whipped Cream Catapult Challenge. Divide your group into pairs. Have one person from the pair squirt a small lump of whipped cream onto the back of their hand. That person should launch the whipped cream to their partner using the “arm catapult” technique seen in the video HERE. The second person should successfully catch the whipped cream in their mouth, or at least catch some of it in their mouth and the rest on their face. To complete this challenge at least half your group should make a successful catch in the video.

Connection Question For Challenge #3

#4: To honor the record-breaking release of Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poet’s Department and the hit single Fortnite, have the girls in your group apply Post Malone style face tattoos to the guys in your group (can be obtained from Emily’s parents). Then find any vinyl copy of the album in a retail store around town and take a group picture with it while you all strike your most iconic T-Swift concert poses!

Connection Question For Challenge #4

#5: Anywhere around the area find an active military person or a veteran. Then take a video of them watching your entire group doing 10 push-ups, sit-ups or jumping jacks at their feet to honor their strength and courage. After you’ve finished recording, spend a few minutes learning more about their time in the service before you depart, as a small gesture of appreciation.

Connection Question For Challenge #5

#6: Head to Chicken N Pickle for the Cornhole Challenge. Go to the building that says Pickleball Check-In and then in between doors 7 and 8 trade someone's ID for beanbags (or have two people get bags if multiple courts are available). Head out to the cornhole courts and have each person in the group throw one, and only one, beanbag from the traditional standing spot. To complete the challenge successfully and get rewarded with Guacamole and Chips for the entire group, you must have any ONE person throw their designated beanbag through the hole, OR have at least HALF the group land their one bag on the platform.

Connection Question For Challenge #6

#7: Emily shares her birthday with the holiday Cinco De Mayo, which originally honored Mexico’s victory over the French, but now in the US has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture. Anywhere around the area, take a video of your group members all at the same time consuming separate spoonfuls of any brand of hot sauce (the hotter the better). Make sure to show the bottle or packet of hot sauce in the video so everyone knows that it's actually hot sauce you're consuming. Disclaimer, this will likely not be pleasant, which is exactly the point. Because a group that suffers together, grows together.

Connection Question For Challenge #7

#8: In the coming year Emily (and many of you) will embark on some big adventures. No matter where those adventures take her she is always proud to be a native Texan, for good reason! More than 35 years ago a character named Pee Wee Herman also had a big adventure here in Texas. Anywhere around the area find two strangers wearing cowboy hats or cowboy boots. You could also find one wearing a hat and one wearing boots but both strangers would need to be wearing one of the required items. Once you’ve found them, take a video of your team all singing at least two verses of the classic 1941 song "Deep in the Heart of Texas", and have the strangers sing and/or clap along accordingly! Once finished, recite the pledge to the Texas flag. To see an example of this song being sung successfully click HERE. Sing it loud and proud and encourage your Texas loving strangers to do the same, or else Large Marge might find you!

Connection Question For Challenge #8

#9: Take a picture or video of your group completing the Clown Car Challenge! Successfully get at least 10 people into a standard 5 seater vehicle with no one in the trunk or hatchback and the doors are all closed. If you want to try to fit more than 10 people into the vehicle you may add people to the trunk or hatchback as long as the lid is open.

Connection Question For Challenge #9

#10: Anywhere around the area find a stranger who is 80 years old or older. Take some time to chat with them, listen to a story they may have about the local area, or just ask them about their life. Then at some point take a video asking them to give Emily some birthday advice about “the meaning of life”, or “the most important thing in life”.

Connection Question For Challenge #10

#11: Head to the water tower on Main Street and get every group member a large (16 ounces or so) open-top paper, plastic, or foam cup and fill it with water. Line up shoulder to shoulder and have each group member balance a full cup on their head. Once everyone’s cups are balanced, hold hands with the group members on either side of you and take a video of your group working together to all take 18 steps forward (in honor of Emily’s life of course) without anyone touching their own cup, or another group member’s cup, or having it spill. If someone’s cup spills make sure to encourage them and then refill any spilled cups and start again as a group. After your group successfully travels 18 steps together dump the cups to prove they were full, and celebrate!

Connection Question For Challenge #11

#12: Yesterday was International Firefighter’s Day, which recognizes the heroic men and women who make it their business to take immediate action when disaster strikes. To honor the brave firefighters that protect this community, take a video of your team completing "Stop, Drop, and Roll" while you are outside of any local fire station. Be sure to yell each step of the fire safety technique as you all do it together and make sure the fire station is clearly visible at some point in your video.

Connection Question For Challenge #12

#13: What kind of birthday would it be without at least one wrapped present? As a group work together to wrap Emily from head to toe in toilet paper leaving as few gaps as possible except around her nose/mouth so she can breathe easily. Then take a fun group picture with her all wrapped up, and at some point throughout the process have a few group members state one reason why Emily is a “gift” to them.

Connection Question For Challenge #13

#14: Find a postcard that features this area in some way, or a fun greeting card, and purchase it. Then click HERE to go to the Love For Our Elders project, which is focused on fighting loneliness with love, one letter at a time. As a group, choose someone from their list whose story or background resonates with you. Then on your card include a fun or uplifting message and all sign it. Take a picture with it to show you've completed your Act Of Kindness and then at some point along the way or after your event ends stamp it and drop it in the mail.

Connection Question For Challenge #14

#15: This week is Red Cross Week, honoring the impactful organization that Civil War nurse Clara Barton brought to the US. To celebrate the legacy she created, find any official Red Cross emblem around the area. Once you’ve found one, have Emily be your “injured soldier” and take a picture demonstrating the “correct way to carry an injured soldier”, as referenced in the picture found HERE by soldiers from the 1800’s. Make sure the Red Cross emblem is visible somewhere in your picture and then gently lower your victim back down after you’re finished, just like Clara would have done.

Connection Question For Challenge #15

#16: Although today officially marks Emily becoming an adult, it is important to remember that doing fun and kid-like things throughout your life is good for your soul. So get your group to the green cube seen HERE, and attempt to have your entire group get into that cube at the same time. If you can’t safely fit everyone into the green cube, have some of the group pack into the orange one just below it. Then have someone (not one of your participants) take a fun picture of the entire group from group level while everyone is making their craziest kid-like facial expressions.

Connection Question For Challenge #16

#17: Windmills are known worldwide as an iconic symbol of Dutch culture, which is why one is the logo for Emily’s favorite coffee spot. Get your group to Dutch Bros Coffee and take a video of two different pairs of people within your group completing the Windmill Challenge! On any grassy area with Dutch Bros in the background, have two people carefully work together to perform a successful “Dutch Bros Windmill” (also known as a Double Cartwheel). Before attempting, please watch the short video shown HERE, to learn how to properly and safely perform the maneuver. Ideally, you would want to do the more advanced version seen towards the end of the video in order to look more like a windmill. If two separate pairs of people in your group can pull off this difficult maneuver, your entire group will be rewarded with drinks of your choice!

Connection Question For Challenge #17

#18: As we age, everyone uses expensive products or even tries medical procedures to keep their youthful looks. But there’s a much more affordable solution. Take a fun group picture after everyone uses Scotch tape to dramatically stretch and distort their faces. To create the proper look you’ll need at least 5 pieces of tape per face, although the more the better! For some inspiration click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #18

#19: Jesus makes it clear in the Bible that the two most essential commandments are to love God and love others. These Christian values are at the center of the New Testament and serve as a general guide for how Christians should live and behave. Yesterday was World Give Day, an international holiday that encourages selflessness and helping others around your community. At any food store, purchase a bag full of non-perishable items (rice, dry beans, soup, and canned meats are needed most). Then deliver the bag to the Grand Prairie United Charities Food Pantry, located at 1417 Densman Street. Once there, take a group picture with your bag of donations and the organization’s logo in the background. Then leave the bag at the door on the east side of the building and it will be picked up later today.

Connection Question For Challenge #19

#20: The NFL draft was last week and expectations are high for Emily’s favorite team to win the NFC East and possibly even get another Super Bowl title! Anywhere around town find a logo of the Cowboys proudly being displayed, worn, flown, etc. Then take a video of your group pretending to spike an imaginary football and immediately breaking into your very best celebratory touchdown dance while the logo is clearly visible in the background. An alternative is to come up with a loud (and choreographed) group cheer that you could all perform. If you need some inspiration for your performance you can click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #20

#21: Yesterday was National Petite and Proud Day (it’s true, look it up). This day is dedicated to all people below 5 feet 4 inches high, to allow them to unapologetically be proud of their stature. Get your group to any hardware store around the area. Once there, grab a measuring tape and start measuring employees and shoppers heights (after asking their permission of course) until you find an adult that is shorter than 5 feet 4 inches tall. Then take a fun group picture with your perfectly sized friend while someone stretches the measuring tape vertically next to them to prove they are officially “petite”. Shorter people are often insecure about their size so be sure to make them feel proud that they helped your group and give them all the positive attention they deserve!

Connection Question For Challenge #21

#22: There’s an African Proverb that says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” That message will become even more meaningful to this group of friends as you pursue your own adventures in the coming years. Because being “together” is not determined by your physical locations. To challenge just how together you are currently, get to any intersection with a traffic light. Have someone take a video of your group as everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder in a tight clump/circle with your backs all facing in and your arms interlocked. When the light turns green slowly lower the entire interlocked group to the ground until you are in a seated position with your butts on the ground. Then work together to slowly stand all the way back up while remaining interlocked the entire time. To successfully complete the challenge your entire interlocked group needs to be standing up again before the traffic light in the background changes to red. To watch a video of a group successfully completing this challenge click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #22

#23: Emily is proud to be a UME Prep Eagle! And it is well known that an eagle’s go-to meal is raw fish. So anywhere around the area find and purchase a package of flat fillet anchovies or rolled anchovies, not the paste kind. Then take a video of your group members, at the same time, all consuming a separate bite-sized piece of this unique food while you recite the 10 Core Values of being a UME Prep Eagle. Make sure to film for at least 30 seconds after you all put it in your mouth, to document your reactions.

Connection Question For Challenge #23

#24: Take a video of the girls in your group applying any brand of hair removal strips on each of the guys in your group, to safely remove one strip of their chest, back, arm, or leg hair according to the instructions on the package. As an alternative you could also take them to a salon that offers this type of service. Choose one body location that they feel comfortable getting “waxed”, and has enough hair that it would show up on the strip after being removed.

Connection Question For Challenge #24

#25: Anywhere around the area, take a picture of your group forming a 3-tiered, human pyramid inside of any elevator. You’ll likely need to divide your group into two and form two separate pyramids to include everyone. Just make sure Emily is in both groups. The elevator can be stopped at a floor with the door open as long as your pyramid is performed inside the actual elevator.

Connection Question For Challenge #25

#26: Get to any clothing or apparel store and find two different items with enough in stock that every group member can be wearing the same two items in their own sizes. Then take a fun group picture with everyone wearing those items. For example it may be a wacky shirt, and a pair of shorts. Or maybe some cozy slippers and a large sun hat. As long as everyone is wearing the same exact two items but in their own sizes.

Connection Question For Challenge #26

#27: In addition to Emily’s birthday, today is also National Nail Day and National Lemonade Day! When Alexandra “Alex” Scott was just four years old, she created a lemonade stand in her front yard and held her first childhood cancer fundraiser. That day she raised $2,000 and by the time of her death in 2004, Alex raised over $1 million and inspired a legacy of hope and cures for childhood cancer. To honor those, and their families, who are impacted by childhood cancer, take a proud group picture showing off your hands once every member of your group has gotten their fingernails painted bright yellow (the international color for childhood cancer awareness) using real nail polish. If your group completes this challenge successfully and emails us the photo proof, our company (Team Building Anywhere) will be donating $50 to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation!

Connection Question For Challenge #27

#28: Arrive at Friendship Park at 5:15pm and find an envelope with your names on it hidden somewhere on the premises. Once you have it, head over to the pavilion and have group members read the contents of the envelope aloud to the entire group. (This challenge is REQUIRED and must be the final challenge you complete)

Connection Question For Challenge #28