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Staff Fest 2018 celebrates 40 years of fun

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 Hui

3rd: 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
2nd place: Los Elements
  • 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

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