On Wednesday, more than 2,000 faculty and staff attended George Washington’s holiday party 2011 in the Marvin Center, where they enjoyed festive foods, desserts, a caricature artist, a screening of “A Christmas Carol” and live music by a chorus of GW faculty and staff members and GW Jazz All Stars.
“Dozens of staff members collaborate to make this party possible, from events and venues and catering staff, to carolers and door judges,” said Executive Director of University Events Kat Bugg. “There are many creative people involved, and we appreciate their enthusiasm for making this a memorable occasion.”
This year’s holiday party, themed “Proud to be GW,” was sponsored by Colonial Community, GW Athletics and the GW Faculty/Staff Campaign.
A participant in the holiday party’s faculty and staff chorus for the past two years, Director of University Advertising Benn Cann said singing brings him “joy from within.”
“Singing with the faculty and staff gave me an opportunity to share beautiful music and cheer to a university that has done so much for me over the years,” he said.
President Steven Knapp and Vice President for External Relations Lorraine Voles also gave remarks and announced Student and Academic Support Services (SASS) as the winner of this year’s door-cubicle decorating contest. SASS beat out approximately 60 entries with its “GW Tweets, Holiday Sweets” theme, complete with snowflakes, the Twitter bird, whale icons and pictures of SASS staff.
Attendees also had a chance to drop off canned goods for Capital Area Food Bank and portable electronic devices for GW + Phones = Hope to be entered in a door prize drawing. This year’s party also incorporated charitable traditions from years past, including Adopt-A-Family and Toys-for-Tots.
George Washington also hosted a holiday party Friday at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus’s Colonial Café. In partnership with the Loudoun Community Holiday Coalition, the Virginia Science and Technology Campus collected new, unwrapped items for the coalition’s Holiday Store, as well as phones.