2008 Skyway Open Recap
You may have seen or heard about this year’s Skyway Open golf tournament in Minneapolis, which took place February 29th and March 1st in the downtown skyway system based around the City Center. The Walsh Bishop design team decided to throw its hat into the ring for the second time for this event, which asks local architects to design holes for the course reflecting a specific theme. This year it was “Minneapolis 2050″.
Our design intent was to illustrate the different sustainable choices that we have as Minneapolis residents, and how these choices shape the environment in which we live. If the player didn’t make the sustainable choice, the ball would be sent back to the tee box to start again!
The graphic on our design used images relating to environmentally responsible energy, transportation, and housing options, and created a “path” to our hole with those choices. Also in the graphic were many images of our city- real images that we could recognize and be proud of- showing our personality and how the sustainable goals are woven into it.
We chose to construct our hole out of clear acrylic, in sections that were portable and easy to assemble. The vision really came together after long planning sessions, and when we set up the hole to test it in our office, it was working great! It was really fun- the ball moved fast on the acrylic, so the players needed a controlled hand.
During the tournament the hole looked slick and people had a good time playing it- the design was unique and folks really wanted to see what was going on when they walked by. Unfortunately, a player did try to walk onto the playing surface… right next to the sign that read “Please Do Not Walk on the Playing Surface”, and the frame of the hole cracked. Alas, it was fun while it lasted! We were proud to have the opportunity to participate in the event.
The Skyway Open tournament is hosted by the Downtown Council, and benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. Look for the 3rd Annual tournament next year!
WBA’s ESOP Fosters Ownership
On January 1, 2008 Walsh Bishop Associates became a 100% employee-owned organization by incorporating an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Unlike other employee benefit plans, which typically diversify their holdings by investing in a variety of assets, Walsh Bishop’s ESOP will, by law and design, invest in the stock of the company, thereby making employees beneficial owners of the company at which they work. Not only does this plan provide our employees with an additional retirement benefit, but it encourages a culture of ownership that has far-reaching implications for our work and clients. Walsh Bishop’s success depends directly on the teamwork and positive attitudes of all of us at every level of job responsibility. Simply put, when we do well for our clients, we do well for ourselves!
Our United Way Campaign
Through what has become an annual tradition at Walsh Bishop, we have raised over $200,000 for the United Way. We do this with a huge silent auction (with a lot of great stuff donated by our clients like snow blowers and trips to the Caymen Islands), a Foos Ball tournament, and about a hundred other ways to contribute. Not only is that just cool, but we think it’s a win-win situation. The United Way and their clients benefit from our support, while our employees enjoy making a positive impact on the community and are able to have a great time doing it! The enthusiasm generated through our United Way Campaign brings benefits that are far reaching both internally and in the community, and has become a favorite anticipated event at Walsh Bishop each year.
