Assembly frenzy comes to Selective

BRANCHVILLE — There's an annual event at Selective Insurance that's become a highly-anticipated competition.
Groups from different departments form a team and compete to see which can build an undisclosed size and style of bicycle to be donated to Project Self-Sufficiency's Season of Hope Toy Shop. Twenty teams competed this year. Bikes were in boxes under tarps on a table with each team's name, and on the command of “ready, set, go,” the projects were revealed and the teams started building. The first to assemble and have one of the team members ride the bike receives the prize of bragging rights and a pizza party.
Selective's CEO, Greg Murphy, said,
“We've been doing this for 15 years, and everyone at the company really looks forward to it," Selective CEO Greg Murphy said. "It's a friendly competition that's taken very seriously all in the name of one great cause.”
Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency, talked about the company's involvement in the Toy Shop and this annual initiative as underscoring the caring in our community.
“The Season of Hope and Selective have become synonymous,” she said. “Selective sends volunteers and holds this annual competition with all of the bikes plus equipment and toys donated to the cause.”
Mindy Oosten works in the Actuarial Department at Selective. She and her team including Andy Moulakis, Phani Povanki and Tim Gupta constructed a bike she nicknamed “Candy.”
“This is an awesome event,” she said. “It rally brings everyone together to work as a team to go for the win.”
Her team didn't win, but no matter.
“It's all about having fun, a great cause and a friendly competition that's talked about all year,” Oosten said.
The bikes were assembled and then transported to the Toy Shop at Project Self-Sufficiency.
“It's a true community effort as the Newton High School Robotics Team comes in to inspect the bikes and give their stamp of approval,” Berry-Toon said.
For a decade-and-a-half, Selective has taken care of the community's insurance needs and has also insured, each holiday season, that kids in need get bicycles.