ARB’s Annual Holiday Party, Virtual Edition
On Friday, December 18, ARB held our annual holiday party – this time via zoom! Featuring a surprise showing from Santa, cocktail crafting with ARB bartender, David Jean, jingle and mingle breakout sessions, Secret Santa gift opening, ARBie awards ceremony, and ARB’s Night Before Lockdown 2020 reading, it was a great way to kick off the holiday festivities!
With participation from all levels of the firm, it was wonderful to get to see and interact with each other; for some, for the first time in months!
In preparation for this event, each person interested in participating in the Secret Santa gift exchange was assigned to a random person. All participants were added to a group message called the Secret Santa Squad, where a daily question was posted. In order to get a better grasp on gift ideas, everyone was asked to answer things like, “Favorite store to shop at?”, “I like to relax by…”, or “Favorite childhood toy?” With almost all employees participating, we had incredible involvement and learned lots of fun facts about each other! After 10 days of questions, employees mailed their Secret Santa a gift. The hardest part? Receiving presents in the mail and waiting until the party to open them!
Employees also signed up for cocktail/mocktail kits. Everyone was sent the supplies to make a Cranberry Sparkler, complete with homemade cranberry puree, Maine maple syrup, and fresh oranges! During the Hoopla, Principal David walked the firm through juicing, whisking and shaking to make the perfect holiday cocktail.
We also enjoyed a lively ARBies awards ceremony in recognition of staff members who have been extra good this year. Some of the awards included the Friends of Felines Award, Super Snacker, Green Thumb Award, The Colonel Sanders Award, Live Wire, The Larry Bird Award, Best Zoom Background, Behind the Scenes Wonder, ARBeard, and the Pinnacle of Professional Proficiency Award for Domination of the Paycheck Protection Program, to name a few.
Ending on a high note, Principal Dan Doiron read his poem ARB’s Night Before Lockdown 2020, personalized with something about every ARBer (there are 52 of us!!)
Although not our usual style, it is safe to say that the spirit of the holidays is alive and well here at ARB. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be able to see each other, to laugh, chat, and share stories, even if it is through a screen.
