There’s nothing quite like having the whole company together in Little Rock around Christmas time!
Every year in December we come together to celebrate the spirit of the season, talk a little business, learn something new and reminisce about the year that was and the year that will be. This time, we turned it up to 11.
As usual, Nita and Curtis at Andina’s rolled out the red carpet for us to get it started. We kicked this year’s celebration off with some good food, good fun and a bunch of whipped cream for charity. Blue Mega, a fellow PaperCut ASC lost one of their own to cancer recently, so we decided to follow PaperCut’s lead and take a few “Pies in the Face” for charity. Mark Hart volunteered our fearless leader, Josh Lane and Operations Manager, Ben Crumpton to take a few in the “Kisser” in exchange for a donation to the Arkansas and University of Kentucky Children’s Hospitals. Oh yes, we got video…
https://youtu.be/–8JlgTtZCE
We thank Josh and Ben for being such great volunteers, and everyone that donated to these two worthy organizations.
After washing all the whipped cream out of every nook and cranny he has, it was time to present Josh with his Christmas gift from the employees. What do you give a man that bestows upon each of us his vision, wisdom, and humility on a daily basis? A man who gives so much, to so many? Well, it’s not easy, but this year I think we hit the bullseye, literally!
Next up, some “Crazy Christmas Trivia” was on tap, hosted by ACDI’s very own “Jordan Jinglepants”. Questions were asked, answers, both right and wrong were given, and in the end, one team was declared the winner. But in reality, when you get this great group of people together in one place, at the end of the night, everyone was a winner.
The Main Event
All that being said, that was just the first night! The next day saw a group of employees travel to Benton to tour the new Boys and Girls Club of Saline County where ACDI is sponsoring the soon to be awesome technology room. This room and its equipment will positively affect an untold number of kids in Saline County, giving them access to resources and learning that will eventually lead to brighter futures.
The next stop was the ACDI Professional Services offices in Benton. We always say “People buy from people” which is true, but support after the purchase is what keeps customers coming back for more and I would put our support and Project Management staff up against anyone. So, we decided to reward them for doing what they do… in the form of a new Foosball table. By the time we left for Little Rock, heated rivalries were already being formed!
After some sales and product knowledge transfer at the Residence Inn, we were ready for the Main event. This year’s Christmas dinner was held at Cafe 42, inside the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. With some pre-meal mingling and drinks accompanied by the sweet, sweet sounds of the ACDI Jam Band, the night was in full-swing. After an incredible dinner, a gift exchange and an impassioned presentation on a local charitable organization from Mandy Lane, I called the night a complete success.
Click to see all the “Christmas in the Rock” photos and video
As Thursday came to pass and Friday saw most of the remote employees returning home to be with their families, I sat in my office with the phrase, “we’re better together” coming to mind. With the way businesses have to operate in today’s world, we can’t always be together. But, not being together affords us the opportunity to make things better for people, people that might not be able to do it on their own. It’s just what we do.
It’s now 5:00 on Friday and I’m packing my computer up and heading home to be with my family, as I do, another phrase comes to mind… Best Job Ever. I think we would all agree.
