Staff Fest 2018 celebrated 40 years of fun and community camaraderie as revelers gathered on the Emory Quadrangle to acknowledge the work and support Emory staff members provide throughout the year.
With tie-dyed t-shirts ablaze in groovy colors, this year’s Staff Fest featured a 1970s theme to mark the 40th anniversary of the festival, which has united Emory employees for an afternoon of food, music and games since 1978.
On one end of the quad, attendees settled inside tents and shady nooks to enjoy a barbecue luncheon catered by Jim ‘N Nicks, an assortment of beverages provided by Coca-Cola, popcorn and ice cream treats.
On the opposite end, homegrown teams engaged in friendly battle on an outdoor volleyball court, while nearby fleet-footed staff members joined in line dancing and Zumba moves to music that often echoed nostalgic 1970s tunes.
Like the intermittent sunlight that flitted across the Quad, the crowd drifted here and there, projecting a light-hearted mood that often felt more like a family reunion than a corporate picnic — administrative assistants found themselves chatting with medical students, laboratory technicians shared lunch tables with Campus Life employees, and Campus Services staff faced off against School of Medicine employees on the volleyball court.
Amid a happy, relaxed setting, Emory staff members visited with one another, climbed an outdoor rock wall attraction, played Twister on a giant inflatable board, did good-natured battle over corn hole boards, sat for caricature drawings of themselves, and dressed up with props for goofy selfies.
Human Resources recruitment specialist Janice Parmer, a 25-year volunteer at the First Aid tent, was enjoying a quiet day in the shade. She was joined by Deborah Fotsch, registered nurse with Emory Healthcare, who was using the opportunity to encourage attendees to sign up for Emory Health Connect. “You can find out about so many benefits in one place,” Fotsch said.
Fun/Run Walk winners
The Fun Run/Walk took place before the main Staff Fest event. It began at 10:30 a.m., taking a two-mile route from Asbury Circle to the Quad.
Here are the winners, divided into age categories:
Female 1-29:
1st: Amanda Thomas
2nd: Brandi Baker
3rd: Chaylin Houston
Male 1-29:
1st: Steven Eicholtz
2nd: Ryan Brinson
3rd: Curtis Travers
Female 30-39:
1st: Rachel Patzer
2nd: Molly Griffith
3rd: Melissa January
Male 30-39:
1st: Miles Kirby
2nd: Michael Arenson
3rd: Darrell Dickens
Female 40-49:
1st: Karilena Meyer
2nd: Gillian Landgraff
3rd: Susana Contreras Alcantar
Male 40-49:
1st: Todd Kerzie
2nd: Lee Clontz
3rd: Brandon Fain
Female 55+:
1st: Sally Mountcastle
2nd: Lorraine Bryan
3rd: Lanta Blue
Male 55+:
1st: Garrett Southwell
2nd: Qin Hui3rd: Jay Flanagan
Volleyball winners
The volleyball tournament, a favorite at Staff Fest, drew 16 registered teams to the Quad this year for competition.
The winning teams are as follows:
1st place: Pass Easy, Power Spike It
- Captain: Mike Robbins
- Eric Gregory
- Jason Martinez
- Paul Petersen
- Zach Dukes
- Jennifer Kessling
- Amanda Thomas
- Terence Davis
- Captain: Juan Duarte
- Roberto Zegarra
- April Drake
- Tanya Miller
- Kelli Taylor
- Cyril Alaras
- Lot Bercasio
- Luciano Sanchez
- Leonard Mendez
3rd place: Yerkes SuperSpikers
- Captain: Christie Sheffield
- Kiflu Kiflemariam
- Robert Sheffield
- Abigail Lee
- Endashaw Teklemariam
- Mershaye Beyene
- Emily Strahan
- Bekele Kerga
- Jonathan McNeally
- Bekele Kassa