CHALLENGES

#1: Some of the most important skills for Pharmgate’s leadership to have are the ability to communicate effectively and work together with others towards a common goal. These skills will also help you successfully complete this challenge. Anywhere along the way, have someone take a video of your team as everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder in a tight clump/circle with your backs all facing in and your arms interlocked. 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 watch a video of a group performing this maneuver click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #1

#2: San Antonio is famous for its bold and flavorful cuisine, with a reputation for serving up hot, spicy dishes that reflect its rich Tex-Mex and Southwestern culinary roots. Anywhere around the area, take a video of your team 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 team that suffers together, grows together.

Connection Question For Challenge #2

#3: It was more than 35 years ago that Pee Wee Herman had a big adventure here in San Antonio. Head to the grounds surrounding The Alamo and find any 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 the first line of the classic 1941 song "Deep in the Heart of Texas", and then have the two strangers respond accordingly (with clapping and singing)! 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 #3

#4: San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest church in Texas, and one of the oldest in the country. It is not only a spiritual center and refuge for many people around the area but it is also the geographic center of the city as well. Get your team to this uniquely special place, head inside, and quietly locate the emblem on the sanctuary floor that identifies the exact center of San Antonio. Once there, circle around the emblem and take a team selfie showing everyone at the exact center of the city. Then click HERE to see a list of 5 simple strategies to quickly center yourself. Have everyone choose their own strategy and quietly perform it on their own somewhere in the church. Then meet up with your teammates outside once finished. Please note this location closes at 5pm. If you arrive after it closes you can complete the challenge outside the front of the church.

Connection Question For Challenge #4

#5: This month marks the 164th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. To honor the Civil War nurse, Clara Barton, that brought the Red Cross to the US, find any official Red Cross emblem around the area. Once you’ve found one, designate one of your teammates as an “injured soldier”, similar to the ones Clara treated in the battlefield. Then 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. If you have a lot of people on your team you can divide up and carry multiple “victims” if you want. Or if you have a small team you can recruit strangers to help out if needed. 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 #5

#6: Get your team to the beautiful mural seen HERE, located somewhere around the River Walk area. Once you’ve found it, take a memorable team picture with the person who has been working with Pharmgate the longest standing in between the wings, and everyone else on the team on either side of them jumping in the air at the same time. Then on your way to your next challenge have everyone break into pairs or small groups and talk about what “lifts them up” either in their personal life or as a member of the Pharmgate team.

Connection Question For Challenge #6

#7: Anywhere around the area, take a picture of your team forming a 3-tiered, human pyramid inside of any elevator. You’ll need at least 6 people to properly form 3 tiers, so recruit kind strangers as needed if some of your team members choose to cheer you on instead. 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 #7

#8: Get your team to the nearby establishment whose entryway ceiling is covered in the animal decor seen HERE, which also happens to be the name of the place. Once there, head into the lobby and find Walter! To celebrate Pharmgate’s love of animals and commitment towards delivering effective animal welfare solutions, take a fun team picture while everyone hugs Walter and shows him some love. Alternatively, you could create a fun picture with one of Walter’s nearby “friends” having your team members all pretend to be running away in fear and that “friend” is in the background behind you.

Connection Question For Challenge #8

#9: Get your team to the location along the River Walk where one of the most iconic beauty pageants of all time was filmed (seen HERE). Once there, find a stranger in the area and take a video asking them either “Describe your perfect date” or “What is the most important thing our society needs” while the filming location is visible in the background and your entire team claps and cheers after they answer (just like Gracie Lou Freebush would have done).

Connection Question For Challenge #9

#10: The Love Lock Bridge overlooking the River Walk has become a popular tradition for couples after saying “I Do”. It was originally started in 2010 by a couple from France who wanted to replicate a similar bridge from their country. A few years ago officials had to add some additional support to the bridge because the weight of the locks was beginning to crack the structure. Get your team to this love-filled location and take a team picture with any lock that has the name of a character from The Office on it. There are a lot of options for character names, although we don’t expect you’ll find one with “Michael + Toby” on it. Alternatively, you could find a lock that has the same first name as someone on your team.

Connection Question For Challenge #10

#11: Being able to focus while surrounded by distractions is a skill that will help you succeed in your role with Pharmgate. This challenge will test how well you can do that. Click HERE to get to the brain puzzles, scroll down and then select “Memory”. Then, anywhere along the way have at least two team members achieve a score of 50 or more points. Once you have your two super focused teammates, take a celebratory picture of them while they’re displaying their phone screens and the point totals are clearly visible. If needed, you can take an additional close-up picture of the two devices to clearly show the point totals (for bragging purposes of course).

Connection Question For Challenge #11

#12: The San Antonio fire company began in 1854 when a group of 20 locals met to organize an all volunteer department, and consisted only of a bucket brigade. To honor the brave firefighters that protect this city, take a video of your team completing "Stop, Drop, and Roll" while any regulation/operable fire extinguisher is visible in the background, or you are at the San Antonio Fire Museum. Be sure to yell each step of the fire safety technique as you all do it together and make sure the fire extinguisher or Fire Museum is clearly visible at some point in your video.

Connection Question For Challenge #12

#13: In order to achieve increased growth and take on competitors like Zoetis and Elanco in the animal health sector, you need to be listening to the people you provide products for and understand the stories that make them who they are. Take a video of your team with any stranger (not someone on your team or from Pharmgate) that has a tattoo while they explain what that tattoo means to them or why they got it. The tattoo must be visible at some point during the video.

Connection Question For Challenge #13

#14: Today is National Autism Awareness Day. To honor those, and their families, who are impacted by autism, take a proud team picture showing off your hands once every member of your team has gotten at least one of their fingernails painted blue (the international color for autism awareness) using real nail polish. For every team that completes this challenge successfully and emails us the photo proof, our company (Team Building Anywhere) will be donating $25 to a local San Antonio autism charity!

Connection Question For Challenge #14

#15: At any point throughout the adventure get your team to a place (or multiple places if needed) with a variety of drink options. Once there, have each team member order a shot or cocktail (traditional or non-alcoholic) that starts with the same first letter as their first name. Then take a quick video with each person one at a time saying their name and the name of their drink, followed by everyone doing a cheers and drinking up! To view a helpful alphabetic drink list of shots click HERE, and cocktails click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #15