By Mina Zivkovic

1. We funded a well!

As if 97 people donating $574,725 in 3,831.5 hours wasn’t enough, we lowkey crowdfunded a well in Uganda. Forge 54 has now directly sponsored sustainable water for 1,000 people for up to 25 years. Forge on!

2. The Reggie Chant

The social media team was in desperate need of a second hashtag. Even with some of the most creative copywriters in the history of the world, they were stumped. In comes Reggie Ige, armed with his camera and his randomly awesome ideas. “Guys, how about H2hope?” The team turned around in shock and awe, and what started as simple cheering morphed into chanting Reggie’s name. Everyone at Forge 54 hopped on with the chant, even if many of us didn’t know why. The chant re-appeared during the Final Presentation, much to the confusion of many of our guests.

3. Wrestling Match

What do you get when you mix a bunch of awesome people and sleeplessness? Why, midnight wrestling of course! In one corner of the ring stands Alyssa Davison (technically Lahham, but shhh) and in the other, Cisco Martinez. Surrounded by adoring fans, the two of them began to spar – surprisingly well. I’m not supposed to take sides, but Alyssa totally kicked his ass. Sorry Cisco.

4. The 4 am Dance Party

Inevitably, the delirium of the event begins to take hold. According to the firsthand account of one copywriting super star, Jelani Warren, “Saturday night, after a lot of assignments were completed and a lot of people were sleep, a dance party broke out. But this wasn't your standard shit. It was special. After we danced to Cupid shuffle and a few other line dances, we formed into a circle and had a dance contest inspired by chores! Some of the favorite moves of the night were: making the bed, grocery shopping, and changing diapers.”

5. The Final Presentation

The Final Presentation is always the most incredible moment of Forge 54. If you’ve never been to one, you’re missing out. Tom Ward – one of our dynamic mobile app programmers – describes it perfectly: “It's always mind blowing.”

6. #forgebooty

Our primary method of transportation was up and down the stairs. Who need squats when you can just climb 60 flights of stairs a day!

7. Traditional Pre-Presentation Toast goes Awry

As per tradition, those who present at the end of the weekend always get together to do a quick run-through and give a toast to celebrate the completion of a long weekend. This year, we took a shot of hemp vodka which can only be described as “toxic bong water”. Did no one try it before it was poured??

8. Breakfast Beer Pong

Cue Sunday morning. The sun is rising, Forgers are slowly waking up… straggling in… getting ready for the day. And yet, one group of troopers decked in sombreros is amidst a game of beer bong. (This is an appropriate time to give a shout out to our sponsors, Shock Top. Without you, beer pong for breakfast wouldn’t have been possible).

9. After Party a.k.a. the Forge 60

The after party should really be re-named to “It’s not over just yet, bitches.” There’s a ton of equipment that gets unloaded at the end of the night. A huge thank you to everyone who stayed and helped – and then partook in some refreshments. A special thanks to Daniel Sorrentino for being the equipment MVP.

10. Creepy Dolls

If you got a heart attack when you went to the restroom on Sunday morning. You can thank one of our volunteers, Brian Walsh, for introducing creepy limb-less dolls to the teams. Someone thought it would be hilarious to pose them in the stalls. Needless to say, it was horrifying.