It’s Christmas Party Time!

BY NAQUANNA COMEAUX

All around the country, companies are either gearing up for or have already hosted their employee Christmas parties. Some people dread them and some folks look forward to them. As a new employee, I was definitely looking forward to the Central Dallas Ministries holiday party, which took place just this past Friday.

I really didn’t know what to expect. Would it be boring, silly or just plain forgettable? Well, it was definitely none of those things. In fact, it was fun and entertaining, and the food was great. (Kudos to the planning committee!) Kevin Flagg and I attended together and we had a blast.

One of the best parts of the celebration was the presentation of the employee service awards. CDM president/CEO Larry James and the executive management team - Keith Ackerman, Gerald Britt and Steve Palma – showed their appreciation by passing out certificates and gold pins. There was a lot of cheering and shouting throughout the room as each name was called. The big one – Employee of the Year – went to “The Voice” of CDM, George Padilla.

The party culminated with drawings for tons of great prizes that included everything from gift cards to jewelry to cookware to DVD players. I had a good feeling that Kevin and I would both win something - I mean, the prize tables were overflowing with goodies – but neither one of us did. We did, however, get to witness An of the Technology Learning Center, who was sitting right next to me, win a really pretty glassware set that I wanted and a $50 gift card from Target that I also wanted. I was happy for him. Really, I was.

But more important than the delicious food and the cool prizes was the camaraderie that could be seen and felt throughout the room. Everyone seemed a lot less like coworkers and a lot more like family. And I was glad to be a part of it.