Grand Island, New York (June 17, 2022)
By C. Schwab –
It was a hot, muggy late Thursday afternoon, with the threat of a looming tornado warning broadcasting over the airwaves of local TV and radio stations. It was also the day scheduled for the first J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge to take place since June of 2019, the 40th Corporate Challenge since its inception in 1982. Who knew what was about to take place that day?
After 3 years with no Corporate Challenge gracing the beautiful downtown Delaware Park in Buffalo, NY – who could possibly have known that “Leading the Way” in the return of that Challenge, would be Ben Cardamone? Ben Cardamone, who only just a little over a year ago, in June of 2021, was hired by GP:50 as an Electrical Engineer. Ben inspired all of us at GP:50, by taking first place overall in yesterday’s 2022 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Buffalo, New York with a run time of 17:23.
A graduate of University at Buffalo, Ben set the University’s record in the 3,000 meter run of the 17th Annual Akron Invitational in Akron, Ohio in February of 2021, with a run time of 8:17.20. He won the mile run for the University’s Bulls Track and Field team at the Akron Tri-Meet the month prior, with his run time of 4:13.22. Not surprisingly, Ben’s standing is 12th, globally. Did we mention it was the first he’d ever run in the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge? Indeed. Who knew?
Yet it didn’t stop there…
On that sultry, humid Thursday evening, as the winds picked up and the rains started, also heading into that Challenge was Caleb Covell. Caleb Covell, who was hired just over a year and a half ago in January 2021 as a Mechanical Engineer with GP:50, placed third overall in yesterday’s Challenge with a run time of 17:57. Indeed. Who knew?
Caleb, also a graduate of University at Buffalo, started running with the track and field team in 2014. In both 2018 and 2019, Caleb took first place at the UB Stampede Invite with times of 25:01.19 and 25:02.4 respectively. Caleb is 22nd – globally. And yes, this was also Caleb’s first run in the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge. Indeed. Who knew?
When GP:50 learned that the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge was back on for 2022, and they called on the company’s graphic designer to come up with a t-shirt design for the Challenge, and the graphic designer came up with the slogan, “Leading the Way” – who knew two of GP:50’s own would be “Leading the Way” in that Challenge? Indeed. Who knew?
Fortunately, the rain didn’t last long, and a tornado never materialized. But what will last for a very long time is the respect, pride, and joy all of us at GP:50 and Blue Ribbon Corp feel having been represented in the 2022 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge by these two fine, hardworking young men!
Congratulations Ben and Caleb!
