WE WON!

Wow.

Can you believe that we are actually at a loss for words.  But don’t worry, it won’t last.

First and foremost, thank you to each and every member of the Gold Team. If it wasn’t for your incredible work in the online challenges we would NOT have won. Every post, every exam, every subscription updated, every virtual business card viewed, every team member recruited was critical to our success. The fact that we swept the online challenges is just amazing!  

We really cannot thank you enough for your help!

This race has been just an incredible experience for us in so many ways. In the beginning it was just so cool to read the Gold Team roll (not role) call and find all these team members from around the world who we had never met supporting us. Then hearing about your success with exams made our day. Your support for IDE was very touching and really meant a lot to us, because we really do believe in IDE and the work they do.

The ground challenges were tense at times, but also unbelievably rewarding. Having the opportunity to work with underprivileged people, to think that maybe you could play a small part in them taking the next step. To help an overworked IT staff cope with all their challenges so that their organization, the Audubon Society, can focus on their mission.  Great experiences all of them.

The foot race on Friday was exhausting. I don’t think the pictures do justice to how tired and sweaty we were at the end of that race. We did not plan on running 3-4 miles with backpacks around the city of New Orleans in 90 degree weather, 100% humidity!

We also want to take a moment to say that we have incredible respect and admiration for all the teams who participated in this race. The Red Team was the strongest team on the ground challenges, especially their work with the Audubon Society. The Green Team made real connections with everyone we met along the way. The Blue Team gave us a real run for our money both literally and figuratively. Well done to all the teams and please consider supporting them in any way you can in the TechEd Runoff.

Speaking of the TechEd Runoff, we just wanted to let you know that we chose to withdraw. We have had the opportunity to help our charity substantially with our win. We wanted another of the worthy nonprofits to benefit from this event.

All of this is not to say there weren’t lighter moments in the race. Susan left pens scattered across the country. Chris had a remarkable collection of hotel room keys by the time it was over. I still don’t know how I ended up with a whiteboard marker in my backpack or where it came from. Beignets straight from the deep fryer are REALLY hot. Jogging through the National Mall was awesome. There were just so many moments along the way that made this a fun, rewarding experience. 

But in the end, the real winners are all the nonprofits we helped along the way and raced for.   And of course the real winner is International Development Enterprises and the people they will be able to help with the money you helped win. Well done Gold Team and if you are at TechEd please stop by the certification desk; we want to thank you in person.

(PS We will post some photos later today as soon as we get a chance so please come back later and check in)