CHALLENGES

#1: As Shurtape employees you pretty much eat, sleep and breathe tape. And while at work you’ve probably used it for just about everything. Well, except this. To honor how much tape has shaped you and your lives over the years, find any brand of clear adhesive tape around the area (even if it’s not Shurtape) and take a fun team picture after everyone uses it to dramatically stretch and distort their faces. To create the proper distortion you’ll need at least 5 pieces of tape per face, although the more the better! For some inspiration click HERE.

#2: This coming weekend we will be honoring Memorial Day. Anywhere around the area find an active military person or a veteran. They could be wearing some form of military or veteran attire, have a military ID, or they could simply describe their military background while you’re completing your challenge. Then take a video of them watching your entire team doing 10 push-ups, sit-ups, or jumping jacks to honor their strength and courage. After you’ve finished recording, spend a few minutes learning more about their time in the service as a small gesture of appreciation.

#3: A low tax burden, well-established supply chain, and high quality of life are just part of what makes this area the ideal location for textile companies. To celebrate North Carolina having the nation’s largest textile mill industry, get to any clothing or apparel store and find two different items with enough in stock that every team member can be wearing the same two items in their own sizes. Then take a fun team 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.

#4: Search the area for a German Howitzer (hint, it’s not a type of car or a dog). Once you’ve found one, recruit a willing stranger to be your designated “injured soldier”. Then take a picture with the Howitzer in the background, while 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 other strangers to help out with the lifting if needed.

#5: Anywhere around the area take a team picture with any public digital clock (not a cell phone or personal watch) when the digits add up to Taylor Swift’s lucky number. For example, if her lucky number were 12 (it’s not) then 11:46am would be acceptable because 1+1+4+6=12. Similarly, 3:09pm would also be acceptable, or any other time where the sum of the individual digits equals Taylor’s lucky number.

#6: Located somewhere around the downtown area, the butterfly seen HERE is part of a beautiful backdrop. Find it, and take a memorable team picture with it behind you while everyone is attempting to jump in the air at the same time (kind of like a group of butterflies). Then on your way to your next challenge have each person at some point talk about what “lifts them up” either in their personal life or as a member of the Shurtape team.

#7: One of the Shurtape company values is Fostering Stewardship, which among other things includes being committed to employee health and being environmentally responsible. So to honor this important commitment, find the logo seen HERE (located somewhere around the downtown area) which also incorporates health and our planet. Once you’ve found it, take a picture of your entire team all completing any variation of the "Tree Pose" while the logo is clearly visible in the background. To view a picture of someone properly performing a variation of the Tree Pose click HERE.

#8: Get every team member a large (16 ounces or so) open-top paper, plastic, or foam cup and fill it with water. Then somewhere outdoors, line up shoulder to shoulder and have each team member balance a full cup on their head. Once everyone’s cups are balanced, hold hands with the team members on either side of you and take a video of your team working together to all take 10 steps forward without anyone touching their own cup (or another team 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 team. After your team successfully travels 10 steps together dump the cups to prove they were full, and celebrate!

#9: At the core of everything Shurtape does is solving important problems by building differentiated products. This can only be achieved by listening to the people you provide products for and understanding the stories that make them who they are. Take a video of your team and any stranger 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.

#10: With an average daily temperature of roughly 90 degrees, there aren’t many things hotter than July in this part of North Carolina. Well, except maybe this challenge. 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 it can be confirmed 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.

#11: In 1904 Hickory became one of the first towns to install a complete sewage system. To honor the town’s innovative thinking, wrap any one member of your team from head to toe in toilet paper (or multiple team members if they want to get in on the fun) leaving as few gaps as possible except around their nose/mouth so they can breathe easily. Then take a fun team picture with your newly wrapped teammate.

#12: One of the Shurtape company values is Communicating Openly and Honestly, which is exactly what you’ll need to do as a team in order to complete this challenge. Get to any grassy outdoor space and take a video of your team completing the Group Sit & Stand Challenge. Basically, your team members will all be 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, and then slowly stand all the way back up while remaining interlocked the entire time. To watch a video of a group successfully completing this challenge click HERE.

#13: The Hickory Fire Department has seven fire stations and 137 full-time personnel that provide fire suppression, emergency medical services, public education, and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) operations throughout the community. 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 standing in front of an actual fire station. 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 station is clearly visible at some point in your video.

#14: The Carolina Panthers had the #1 pick in the recent NFL Draft so there is excitement around the upcoming season and their new Quarterback! Anywhere around the city find a logo of the Carolina Panthers 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. If you need some inspiration for your performance you can click HERE.

#15: U.S. News recently analyzed 150 metro areas in the United States to find the best places to live based on quality of life and the job market in each metro area, as well as the value of living there and people's desire to live there. The results are in, and Hickory ranked as the #1 Most Affordable Place To Live and the #25 overall Best Place To Live! 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 team, choose someone from their list whose story or background resonates with you. Then on your card include a fun or uplifting message and sign it. Stamp your card and take a picture with it to show you've completed your Act Of Kindness and then drop it in the mail along the way or after your event ends.