Campus employees kicked off their working boots Thursday afternoon at an Employee Appreciation Day. Staff members and faculty kicked soccer balls at Rice-Eccles Stadium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., while eating free food, roping a mechanical calf and consulting a palm reader.
“I have worked at the U for five years,” said Cheryl Walker, a customer service representative for Patient Access Services. “I answer phone calls and do clinical studies. It’s nice to get away and not have any kind of responsibilities for two hours.”
Human Resources hosts the event every year in September at the Olympic Cauldron Park near the stadium.
“It is the one time of the year where staff can come together from every corner of the institution and, for a brief time, have this shared experience with their colleagues,” said Tom Loveridge, associate vice president for Human Resources.
The Legendary Porch Pounders and the U Jazz Combo bands performed during the festival.
“They have a lot of new things this year, like palm reading,” Walker said. “Everyone always likes to have the pizza and get a massage.”
Employees could also visit exhibitors’ tables with information about local businesses and opportunities available, including ski resort discounts and work-related accident insurance.
“I came to check out the retirement booth,” said Jeffrey Dodge, a custodian at the U. “I am interested in learning more about that. I also came to party and interact.”
The annual event began five years ago and the number of staff attending grows every year.
Loveridge said that more than 4,000 employees attended last year.
“The goal was pretty much a party for staff, something to just say thank you,” Loveridge said.
Katie Tiedemann, a clinical nurse at the U Hospital, said she came to play soccer and eat free pizza and cotton candy.
“I will come next year if I have the day off again,” she said.
Jaime Snow, another clinical nurse at the hospital, said she came to win football tickets that are available for the first 100 entrants but was too late.
“I came because everything is free and to win prizes,” she said.
Lucas IsleyCampus employees had the chance to rope a mechanical calf during Employee Appreciation Day yesterday.