Not many companies can boast of a mid-week corporate fundraiser filled with Nerf bullets, beer and laughter.

Trintech, however, can.

On a Wednesday afternoon in July, Trintechers exchanged their computers for Nerf guns, their client calls for war cries and their afternoon coffees for cold beers. All in the name of charity, of course.

At Trintech, “work hard, play hard” is an old adage that all Trintechers take to heart, often manifesting in the form of nonstop Nerf bullet exchanges and intra-departmental alliances. Nerf guns at the office come in all sizes: from small Nerf sidearms to large Nerf machine guns, and everything in-between.

To leverage this company tradition, Trintech’s summer interns organized a Nerf War to raise money for the Richardson Corporate Challenge. This series of Olympic-like sporting events among several companies, Trintech included, raises money for a specific philanthropic organization. Since the establishment of the Corporate Challenge in 1997, a total of $2.25 million has been raised. This year, the proceeds will be donated to the Special Olympics.

The Nerf event was a primary focus of the company’s Intern Development program. Chris Goldkamp, Senior Corporate Trainer, and head of the Intern Development program, felt that organizing a fundraiser was a great chance for the interns to learn and practice key business skills.

“Being able to coordinate this kind of event requires lots of teamwork and effort and mirrors many aspects of running a business such as marketing, planning and budgeting.” Goldkamp said. “It was also an opportunity to realize that any business, while always aiming to achieve its goals, should be looking for ways to give back to the community. So, to have them organize something like this was an invaluable experience as they are beginning their careers.”

The event raised over $650 for the Corporate Challenge, culminating in a Maroon team win with a hearty prize of bragging rights. Laughter could be heard from the tenth floor as Trintechers dodged Nerf bullets and clinked beers.

“This fundraiser shows that the software field doesn’t always have to be tedious and stressful.” Myles Seiple, the accounting intern, said. “We can have fun, shoot each other with Nerf guns and still be successful.”

Written by: Ashton Mathai