An estimated 20,000 athletes from over 150 companies participated in the 2025 Kansas City Corporate Challenge (KCCC). Since 1980, one male and one female are honored with the Alex George Award annually as part of KCCC in recognition of great sportsmanship and dedication to fitness and teamwork. Nominated by Melanie Jollett, his group leader and KCCC teammate, Grant Zebold of Lamp Rynearson’s Water Services Group beat 14 other male nominees for the award this year!
These are the qualifications considered for the award:
- Athletic Ability
- Ability to overcome obstacles in performing athletic events
- Dedication to the Kansas City Corporate Challenge in organizing and promoting the events
- Selflessness in dealings with KCCC
- Sportsmanship with regard to other competitors and persons involved with the Games
Below is Melanie’s heart-felt recommendation letter for Grant that tells his tale of struggle and perseverance to be much deserving of this honor.
Dear Alex George Award Selection Committee:
We would like to take the opportunity to nominate Grant Zebold for the Alex George Award for the 2025 KC Corporate Challenge. This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated athletic ability, ability to overcome obstacles, dedication to KCCC, selflessness, and exemplary sportsmanship. Grant has demonstrated these qualities time and time again throughout the 2025 games.
As our company coordinator, Grant spends countless hours coordinating and motivating participation. In fact, this year we had the pleasure of teaming with two other firms, so a total of three firms, and Grant did an amazing job coordinating all three companies to maximize our participation in the events. Coordinating one company is a full-time effort, and Grant managed to coordinate all three companies with ease and minimal disruptions. Through his efforts, he has helped increase involvement in the events to take Lamp Rynearson from a 9th place finish in Division H in 2024 to a top 3 finish in Division G this year. Additionally, through his motivation and dedication to KCCC, he has encouraged first-time participants to step outside of their comfort zone to participate. Many of these first-time participants earned medal points within the Division G!
Grant is a natural born leader and fierce competitor. He participates in as many events as possible and started out the season strongly leading our Flag Football Team. Within one of the first few plays of our first game, Grant unfortunately suffered an injury that tore his ACL. For most, this would have been a KCCC season ending injury. Grant, however, did not let this injury stop him from participating. With his torn ACL, Grant still participated in numerous events including soccer, 5k, weightlifting, track and field, swimming, the adventure race and more. His athletic ability and ability to overcome obstacles really stood out in both track and field and swimming. He was the anchor leg of our sprint medley relay and secured us a 3rd place finish. He also swam incredibly well and was the anchor leg of our 200-freestyle relay and secured us a 1st place finish. The Lamp Rynearson/CMT/PPS (or alphabet soup team as we have been nicknamed), would not have performed so well this year without Grant’s athletic ability and ability to overcome obstacles.
On top of all of the coordination and participation effort Grant has made for our team this year, he has done it all very selflessly and with exemplary sportsmanship. In the events that Grant could not participate in, he showed up to support his fellow teammates. When we had no one to compete in horseshoes, Grant selflessly went to the event on a Sunday morning to gather some participation points. Since he couldn’t compete in all of the events for the track meet, Grant selflessly helped our volunteer effort on long jump and cheered along our other runners. He stuck around on night one of the swim meet to encourage all of our first-time swimmers.
Grant did an exceptional job of coordinating our team this year; we would not be sitting in the top 3 without his effort, enthusiasm, and ability to motivate our employees to participate. He stayed engaged and participated in as much as possible and never missed an opportunity to support or motivate the rest of the participants while nurturing his torn ACL. We humbly nominate Grant for the Alex George Award because he meets all qualities required for this award.
– Melanie Jollett
