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BetterTrades Holiday Party 2009
The annual Christmas Party hosted by BetterTrades continues to get bigger and better every year. The 2009 party was held at Dave & Buster's, a restaurant and entertainment center located less than at mile from the BetterTrades office in suburban Atlanta. Three years ago the gathering included fewer than 30 employees; this year there were nearly 100 BetterTrades employees present.
The party was hosted by co-CEOs Freddie and Mitzi Rick and planned by Sandy Cunningham, the company's director of human resources. It was wet and windy outside, but warm and dry at the party. Attendees were welcomed with a buffet that included salad, fruit and vegetables, shrimp, beef kabobs, and chicken. Employees were able to feast on the sumptuous spread and relax with their colleagues in a casual atmosphere. It was a good opportunity for co-workers to catch up with each other away from the workplace.
After enjoying the food, employees participated in a game of "Guess Who?" Sandy Cunningham requested employees to submit little-known facts about themselves, and then read many of the submissions out loud. Some of the questions were outrageous: "I was bitten on the rear by a monkey." Some were mystifying: "I was the only girl on my high school golf team." Others were perplexing: "I was tackled by security officers and detained by authorities for roller-blading on the observation deck of the Empire State Building."
Upon the conclusion of the game, employees who participated in the company's Secret Santa gift swap opened their presents. The highlight was Freddie Rick opening his gift, a bright blue "Snuggie," one of those fleece blankets that are sold on late-night television commercials. Freddie proudly stepped into his Snuggie as he took the stage to address the gathering and thank the workers for their efforts over the past year.
From that point the employees scattered throughout the expansive Dave & Buster's game room and took advantage of their game cards. Designer Shannon Johnson proved to be a whiz at the Wheel of Fortune and earned enough tickets to buy a huge doll of Patrick (sidekick of Sponge Bob) for her child. Financial writer Matt Cavallaro played "Whack a Weasel" until his forearm ached, but was still able to procure a New York Mets cap. And office manager Irfan Jiwani was proud to pull a bright pink monkey out of the claw machine.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The food was good, the gifts were nice and the games were fun, but all agreed that the best part was to enjoy the companionship of fellow workers. The pleasant afternoon gave most another reason to be grateful for the opportunity to work at a growing, forward-looking company such as BetterTrades. The Christmas party was a wonderful addition to the holiday season.
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