On a sun-soaked Friday (October 24), AJ Kelly Park was buzzing with energy as the 2025 Ausbuild Community Challenge kicked off. The event brought together 18 local community teams and five businesses for an afternoon of laughter, friendly competition, and collaboration, all with a purpose: raising funds and awareness to support local organisations making a real difference.
Among the participants, the Moreton Bay Region Meals on Wheels team arrived ready to take on the challenges with determination and plenty of smiles. Our team of eight spent the day racing, strategising, and cheering each other on through a jam-packed lineup of mini-games, each designed to test coordination, creativity, and humour, while raising funds to support the vital work the service does in the community.
A highlight of the day was the Minute to Win It challenge, a series of rapid-fire games where each team member had just one minute to complete a task. The games included the Cereal Box Puzzle, Don’t Blow the Joker, Flip Cup, Iron Man, 50c Tower, and Junk in the Trunk, each testing speed, focus, and collaboration under a fun, high-pressure environment.
Some challenges stood out more than others. In Iron Man, participants had to thread five small hex nuts onto a chopstick and stack them into a tower, testing precision and nerves under the ticking clock. The 50c Tower required team members to balance three 50-cent coins on their edges to form a tower that would stand for three seconds. After a couple of extra attempts, the team nearly halved their time by the third round.
But it was the final game, Junk in the Trunk, that stole the show. For this laugh-out-loud challenge, a small box filled with balls is tied around the participant’s waist, and the player must shake as many balls as possible out of the box in one minute, without using their hands. Watching our Marketing and Communications Lead, Jordan Reimers, wriggle, bounce, and shimmy to empty the box had the entire team in stitches.
Physical challenges pushed the team to the limit, testing balance, coordination, aim, and cooperation. The day’s crowd-favourite was the Giant Bucket Pong. With the wind gusting and buckets set meters apart, each throw required just the right balance of power and precision.
The Moreton Bay team battled fiercely, and after a tense final round, the game ended in a draw, resolved only in a short, suspense-filled overtime. Music and creativity kept spirits high throughout the day. Teams competed in Musical Bingo, racing to identify songs on their bingo sheets, and then took to the stage for an energetic Air Guitar showdown, rocking out to classics like Johnny B. Goode and You Shook Me All Night Long. It was a day full of fun, laughter, and community
pride. Together, the team raised $3,419.25, with funds going back into supporting the important work Moreton Bay Region Meals on Wheels does every day, helping provide nutritious meals, companionship, and care across the community.
Reflecting on the day, Jordan said: “I had a fantastic day out in the sun, celebrating how good it feels to be involved with a charity. The teamwork, laughter, and energy were unforgettable, it really showed what makes Meals on Wheels so special.”
The 2025 Ausbuild Community Challenge proved that through mini-games, relays, and bucket pong, the power of community, generosity, and shared laughter can make a real difference.
