The SMU Cox School of Business and real estate companies Behringer Harvard and the Trammell Crow Co. will sponsor the Corporate Relay Challenge at Wellstone’s Dallas White Rock Marathon on Dec. 10.
Five-person corporate teams will compete for recognition and rewards by running the relay around the 26.2 mile course.
The team that wins will be honored as the area’s most physically fit corporation and will receive a $2,500 credit toward enrollment into an SMU Cox Executive Education program.
Teams will compete in categories such as oldest, youngest and best corporate costumes.
The winning teams will be honored with $30,000 in donations to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, one of the nation’s leading pediatric centers for the treatment of orthopedic conditions and learning disorders.
Albert W. Niemi, Jr., dean of SMU Cox, said he was “pleased” to team up with prominent companies to promote health in the local business community.
“The partnership … will enable this event to become the largest and most prestigious race of its kind in this part of the country,” said Chuck Dannis, chairman and president of Wellstone’s Dallas White Rock Marathon.
He added that since money isn’t just given to the winners, multiple teams can feel good about making a meaningful contribution.
This is the first competition to ever benefit the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.
The hospital provides ongoing care for more than 16,000 children each year at no charge.
“This sponsorship role will also allow us to strengthen our commitment to serving the Dallas community … with whom we already have a strong relationship through an MBA consulting project,” said Niemi.
According to David Perryman, the assistant dean of marketing and communications at Cox, about 120,000 people will be at the event to watch 11,000 runners.
He added that “It’s a truly awe-inspiring, community-building and spiritually uplifting event that benefits runners, spectators, the city, and most importantly, children in need of medical services,” he said.
Wellstone’s Dallas White Rock Marathon is also a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon, according to the race’s Web site.
Runners and spectators will gather at the American Airlines Center on Dec. 10. The race is slated for 8 a.m.
