When 40 IT execs from companies around the globe received instructions that read, “Wear comfortable clothes,” they had no idea what was up. The group had come together as part of a leadership program hosted by research and consulting company BSG Concours, Kingwood, Texas, which trains IT execs striving to become CIOs in Fortune 500 companies

“I was looking for a unique teambuilding activity that would break the ice and also allow us to give back to the local community,” says Stacie Stark, BSG's Lowell, Mass. — based program coordinator. The solution: The Charity Bike Build, a teambuilding activity created by TeamBonding, Canton, Mass., in which groups work together to build bicycles that are donated to needy children. “We are seeing a strong interest in philanthropic programs right now,” says TeamBonding founder David Goldstein. “It is really about participating in a feel-good event from top to bottom.”

Once at the Babson Executive Conference Center in Wellesley, Mass., BSG's group broke into teams to complete challenges, earning them money to purchase materials needed to build the bikes. The teams assembled the bikes, and then rode them through a timed obstacle course. The group's final surprise: learning that the 12 new bikes would be donated to at-risk children.

“The build was competitive in nature and required teamwork,” says Stark. “It got everyone involved, and there was lots of laughing, but the best part was being able to bring joy to these children, who were so excited about receiving their bikes.”

The Charity Bike Build takes roughly two hours and is available for groups of all sizes.

For more information, go to the Teambonding website.