Brazil: Solidarity Team Game Day (Gincana) for Impact

tl;dr

A common format in Brazilian schools and communities that some companies have adapted is the solidarity gincana. Teams play games and do good for the community over a few weeks. At companies like Teclógica, mixed teams earn points with quizzes, relays, and donation or volunteer missions. Many teams open with music and may end with a roda de samba in some regions while others choose different local styles or keep it simple, and the winners ceremonially present a donation co-selected with the community partner. The result is friendly competition with heart: people make friends, help the community, and lift the company image.

Context: Play, Purpose & Solidariedade

Many people in Brazil grow up participating in collective festivities, and we use Portuguese terms with their original diacritics (e.g., gincana, gincana solidária, solidariedade, mutirão, espírito de equipe, axé) and simple pronunciations on first mention. From neighbourhood Carnaval blocs to school gincanas (team scavenger hunts), working together toward a shared prize is common in many communities, though styles vary by region and organization. In the corporate realm, some companies translate this spirit into a blend of friendly competition and social good. Year’s end, especially, sparks a unique mix of festivity and philanthropy: companies rally employees to reflect, give back, and celebrate as one. Some offices also host a themed Festa Junina (a June harvest party) in its proper season, or adapt selected elements respectfully at other times with clear context, aligning work culture with beloved national traditions*. But beyond food and dance, one modern ritual captures Brazil’s team spirit and big heart in equal measure: the gincana solidária, or solidarity contest. Originally a staple of schools and communities, the gincana (from the English ‘gymkhana’) spread via mid‑20th‑century school and media contests and, in recent decades, many firms have adapted it into workplace “game days” as part of CSR, while critics also note risks of assistencialismo that prioritizes short‑term charity over structural change*.

Meet Teclógica’s “Olympics”

According to local coverage, Teclógica is an early adopter of this practice, and is a Santa Catarina–based IT firm with operations in ten countries. Every year for the past 18 years, Teclógica has hosted its own “Olimpíadas Teclógica”, an internal Olympics that mixes friendly competition with charity, according to company and local press reports. What started in 2005 as a modest team-building day has evolved into a multi-week event that unites programmers, HR reps, sales teams—even the CEO—in cross-departmental teams vying for a trophy. Challenges range from classic trivia quizzes and relay races to community missions like food drives. Departments form teams (Marketing vs. Finance vs. Engineering, and so on), leveling any hierarchy during the activities. “Moments like this are so important for colleagues to meet and swap ideas with people from other areas, especially after so much home office,” said Teclógica’s HR lead, Liziane Belmiro, in a published interview (translated from Portuguese by editors)*. The goal isn’t just bragging rights; it’s bonding through purpose. Each year’s “Olympics” features at least one solidarity challenge benefiting the local community, making it a tradition that goes beyond the company’s walls.

One of the recurring activities is an optional blood donation day coordinated with the regional blood bank. The company does not score medical volunteering, instead coordinating an optional visit to the regional blood bank during paid time and offering equal‑point non‑medical alternatives, and it earned a special “Solidary Company” seal from the local hemocenter two years running*. Other editions have seen employees collect winter clothing for shelters, assemble care packages, or sponsor youth sports teams. In 2023, for example, Teclógica’s Olympians gathered 350+ food and hygiene items for a community pantry and crowdfunded new jiu‑jítsu uniforms for 50 low‑income kids, according to the cited local coverage*. It’s a far cry from a typical holiday office party: colleagues still don funny costumes and blast axé music, but they’re also teaming up to make a tangible difference.

Solidarity Gincana — How It Unfolds

Timeline	Team Challenge & Scene	Purpose and Bonding Benefit
Launch Day (Mid-Nov)	Kickoff Rally: Participation is voluntary with a socially safe opt‑out, and teams are announced at an all‑hands meeting with upbeat Brazilian pop. A low‑pressure, accessible icebreaker (e.g., rapid‑fire trivia about coworkers with opt‑out alternatives) helps people feel comfortable.	Breaks the ice; ignites excitement and cross-department camaraderie.
Week 1 (Late Nov)	Donation Drive: Teams opt in to collect specific items (rice, books, blankets) for a chosen charity, with remote contributions and non‑competitive giving credited with equal points. Accessible drop‑off points and remote pickup options are provided, and a moderated chat channel emphasizes encouragement and sportsmanship rather than trash‑talk.	Sparks healthy competition in doing good; reinforces shared values of generosity (solidariedade).
Week 2 (Early Dec)	Community Challenge: A hands‑on task like a volunteer day, with any medical volunteering strictly optional and never scored. If a blood bank partnership exists, the company coordinates an optional visit during paid time with no public sign‑ups, and equal‑point non‑medical alternatives are available for anyone who prefers them. Only anonymized aggregate participation counts are shared via approved tools after consent, and medical images or donor names are not posted.	Deepens employees’ emotional investment; builds one-on-one bonds and pride through collective service.
Finale (Mid-Dec)	Closing Ceremony: A core‑hours gathering doubles as award ceremony to maximize inclusion across shifts and caregiving schedules. The CEO or master of ceremonies announces team‑level point tallies and thanks community partners. Top teams get medals and a quirky trophy (past years: a golden blood drop, a puzzle-piece heart). Amid applause, the winning team ceremonially presents a donation check co‑selected in advance with the community partner. The event ends with a closing moment that fits the team’s culture, such as a roda de samba in Rio, forró in the Northeast, or quiet applause with no music.	Recognizes effort and impact; celebrates unity with a burst of Brazilian flair, leaving teams feeling connected and accomplished.

Timeline can shift with local holidays (for example, Carnaval before Lent, Festa Junina in June, and Children’s Day on October 12), and the ritual typically follows Separation (kickoff), Liminality (challenge weeks), and Incorporation (finale) with roles like comissão organizadora, team captains, and a mestre de cerimônias.

Why It Works — Competition with coração (heart)

Ritualized competition in a Brazilian context creates instant engagement. Colleagues aren’t just co-workers; for a few weeks they become teammates on a mission, complete with unique names and WhatsApp pep talks. The playful rivalry helps build a shared team identity and the altruistic angle strengthens prosocial norms that support trust and empathy at work. Research on prosocial behavior and social identity shows that shared service experiences can increase a sense of belonging and collaboration at work. In contrast to cutthroat sales contests, a “gincana do bem” (do-good contest) channels competitive energy into something universally positive, flattening hierarchies in the process. It’s hard to worry about job titles when everyone is wearing team bandanas and hauling donation boxes side by side.

Culturally, the ritual resonates because it taps into Brazil’s heritage of mutual aid. The Portuguese word solidariedade denotes more than charity; it implies a two-way solidarity among people. Many Brazilians recall community “mutirões” (all-hands barn-raisings) or school gincanas where entire neighborhoods pitched in. Bringing that ethos to the workplace blurs the line between colleagues and community. Leaders who partake (cheering in the relay or manning the barbecue at the finale) demonstrate humility and togetherness. As one organizer put it, “We united purpose and innovation to mobilize our people in an action that transformed lives… collaboratively”*. That spirit, once ignited, carries back into project teams: after competing shoulder-to-shoulder for a noble cause, day-to-day collaboration feels more natural and trusting.

Outcomes & Impact

The impacts can be tracked along a simple chain—belonging and shared identity lead to more help‑seeking across teams, which can improve cross‑team ticket resolutions per week and shorten handoff times. In hard numbers, the 2023 edition of Olimpíadas Teclógica mobilized dozens of employees (virtually the entire Blumenau office) to donate time and goods, resulting in 13 families served and a 15% year‑over‑year jump in total items donated compared to the previous year, according to local coverage*. The company’s sustained blood-drive participation earned public accolades, strengthening its reputation in the region. According to the cited report, at Grupo Sabin, a larger Brazilian health firm, a similar gamified volunteering “Gincana do Bem” logged 5,000+ volunteer hours by 1,520 staff in one year, benefiting over 100,000 people through hundreds of micro-actions*. Such figures underscore a powerful message: when employees unite around purpose, even modest initiatives can scale into massive impact.

Qualitatively, the feedback is just as glowing. Teclógica’s HR reports stronger cross-team friendships and a post-pandemic boost in morale directly tied to the Olympics. New hires cite the ritual as a highlight of onboarding: proof that the company lives by espírito de equipe (team spirit) and not just profit. One hospitality company saw similar effects after throwing a cultural festival for staff and briefed participants to avoid caricature of rural identities: “I’m proud to be part of a company that values us so much, providing such an amazing celebration,” said one housekeeper in a published article (translated from Portuguese by editors)*. That sense of pride and belonging can contribute to business outcomes such as lower turnover, higher engagement scores, and a stronger employer brand when measured over time. In a tight labor market, employees often choose (and stay at) workplaces where they feel part of a team with a shared mission, not just an interchangeable worker.

Lessons for Global Team Leaders

Principle	Why It Matters	How to Implement
Gamify Giving	Friendly competition can supercharge participation, turning “have to” into “want to.”	Create teams and award points for community service or wellness challenges. Use team‑level leaderboards or apps with no individual rankings, cap point differentials, and moderate channels to keep the mood light.
Purpose Over Prizes	Tying activities to a social cause infuses work with meaning and boosts morale.	Align team contests with charity drives or volunteer days. Co‑select causes with community partners and employees to ensure genuine alignment and voice.
All Hands, All Ranks	Inclusivity builds trust; when the intern and VP wear the same team T-shirt, silos fade.	Mix departments on each team or have leaders actively join in events. Model humility (e.g. leaders serve food or clean up after events).
Local Flavor	Grounding rituals in local culture makes them relatable and authentic.	Adapt traditions that resonate locally (festival themes, local sports, folklore). In Brazil, music styles vary (samba, forró, funk, sertanejo), and in other contexts credit the Brazilian origins, consult local cultural advisors, use secular and inclusive framing, avoid costuming caricatures, and follow local health and data‑privacy regulations.
Celebrate and Reflect	Marking the end of a ritual reinforces its value and lessons learned.	Hold a closing ceremony or retro. Share stories of impact co‑created with partner organizations, using consent‑based photos and anonymized data, and agree on where funds go together before the finale. Recognize not just winners but effort and teamwork.

Implementation Playbook

1. Scope a Cause and Theme. Pick a time of year and a unifying theme (e.g. “Spring Into Service” or a cultural holiday) with a cause to support.
2. Form Teams & Kickoff. Invite employees to opt in and divide volunteers into mixed‑role teams, with a socially safe opt‑out and equivalent alternatives for those who do not participate. Announce the gincana with fanfare and a one‑page brief that links to strategy, credits Brazilian origins and acknowledges partners, sets norms (code of conduct and inclusive language), outlines timeboxes (60–90 minutes per week during core hours), names the owner/facilitator and data owner, and confirms that participation is not tied to performance.
3. Design Mixed Challenges. Balance the lineup with at least one altruistic task and one fun in‑house game, ensure accessible and low‑exertion options, offer remote and asynchronous paths, and treat any medical volunteering (e.g., blood donation) as strictly optional and unscored with equal‑point non‑medical alternatives while avoiding peak cycles and night‑shift conflicts. Ensure tasks cater to different skills so everyone can shine, recognize planning and coordination roles with equal points, estimate loaded time cost and materials/vendor budget per participant, and align with HR/Legal on paid volunteer time, safety/transport guidance, NGO vetting, and avoiding supervisor pressure on medical activities.
4. Keep Score Visible. Use a whiteboard, Slack channel, or internal site to update team‑level points only, cap point differentials, and avoid public individual rankings. Share only consented, non‑medical images with privacy‑safe captions, obtain NGO consent before naming or showing logos, and document data minimization and a retention window. (Pro tip: highlight acts of collaboration or sportsmanship for bonus points, not just raw totals, and publish a clear etiquette for moderated channels.)
5. Reward, Replenish, Repeat. At the finale, celebrate all contributors. Give whimsical awards (most creative cheer, team MVPs) alongside trophies. Run a lightweight pre‑post pilot over 6–8 weeks with 2–4 teams of 6–12 people using short scales (for example, a 4‑item psychological safety and a 3‑item belonging index) plus behavioral metrics (participation by modality and cross‑team help requests), set success thresholds (for example +0.3 on 5‑point scales and +20% cross‑team replies), and define stop rules if opt‑out rates rise or safety concerns emerge.

Common Pitfalls

Over‑competitive vibes can sour the fun: keep it light with a clear code of conduct, avoid coercion or performance linkage, provide alcohol‑free and accessible options, and avoid token charity by showing genuine leadership involvement (think sweat equity, not just a signature on a check).

Reflection & Call to Action

A little organized play with a big dose of purpose can transform a workplace. Brazil’s approach, infusing team bonding with cultural zest and solidariedade, demonstrates that people will make extra effort when their hearts are engaged. What started as a simple game at Teclógica became a pillar of their culture, turning colleagues into comrades and corporate targets into community triumphs. The invitation to leaders everywhere is clear: credit the Brazilian origins of the gincana and find a respectful, locally adapted sweet spot where competition and compassion meet. Whether it’s a volunteering scoreboard, a hackathon for charity, or a cross-office sports day, dare to mix business with benevolence. The bonds you forge might just outlast any bonus or perk.

In the spirit of the gincana, why not start small? Rally a few teams for a one-day challenge to help a local cause, and see how even friendly rivalries can pull your people closer. The ultimate victory won’t be a trophy: it will be a unified team that knows supporting one another is the greatest prize of all.

---

References

• “Blumenau company unites staff through internal solidarity ‘Olympics’.”
• “Sabin’s Gincana do Bem engages 1,500+ employee volunteers via gamified giving.”
• “Terra Parque resort strengthens team bonds with a June festival.”
• “Solidarity gincanas – a growing corporate trend in Brazil.”
• Teclógica blog — “Teclógica realiza arrecadação de donativos para ONGs de Blumenau” (inclui detalhes das Olimpíadas Teclógica e o Selo Empresa Solidária do Hemosc).
• O Município Blumenau — “Empresa realiza gincana entre colaboradores e arrecada mais de 350 donativos para ONG de Blumenau.”
• HEMOSC — Projeto Empresa Solidária (selo para empresas que mobilizam doação de sangue).
• Instituto Sabin — “O que é a Gincana do Bem?” (overview of the corporate gincana and scoring).
• RD Saúde — Regulamento “Desafio Voluntariado” (gincana solidária corporativa hospedada na plataforma V2V).
• Instituto Embraer — Regulamento: “Desafio ESG, Seu Impacto no Mundo” (gincana solidária/competição lúdica de voluntariado).
• Bem Paraná — “Gincana da Solidariedade chega à 15ª edição e mobiliza 500 colaboradores da Econet Editora.”
• ABRASCE — Campanha “Doe Abraços Quentinhos”: shoppings da SYN realizaram gincana solidária em parceria com o Atados.
• Atados (para empresas) — Serviços incluem criação de “desafios e gincanas sociais” para voluntariado corporativo.
• MGN Consultoria — “Desafio Voluntário”: gamificação que combina elementos de gincana para engajar colaboradores.
• Equipe Blackout — Organizadora de Gincanas (inclui gincanas corporativas sob demanda).
• AutomaniaNet — “Empregados da Ford doam toneladas de alimentos em ‘Gincana do Bem’ em Taubaté.”
• Rinen/Vollmens — “Gincana do bem envolve colaboradores em ação beneficente!”
• Sicredi Araxingu — “Gincana Solidária mobiliza colaboradores e arrecada mais de 2 toneladas de alimentos.”
• LiveLab/Jornada X — “A gincana” (relato de impacto: forte aumento de presença escolar e vínculo após gincana).
• Revista Brasileira da Educação Profissional e Tecnológica — “Estudo de caso da gincana PBL de criatividade do IFPR.”
• Revista Brasileira de Ensino Superior — “Estratégia de engajamento por meio de uma gincana: estudo de caso na Universidade Positivo.”
• Gincana — origem e conceito (derivação de ‘gymkhana’; usos em escolas e comunidades no Brasil).