Resource Day brought employees together July 15 for an afternoon of food, conversation and useful information, with participation from crafts and departments across the Belt.
Between Buildings 2 and 4 near the General Office Building, the event featured several opportunities to connect with resources available through the Belt and its partners. Representatives from Bank of America and BMO Harris were on hand to discuss financial topics, including 401(k) plans and checking and savings accounts. The Red Wing Boot mobile also provided a convenient resource for team members.
The Belt University table featured a special Resource Day quiz, with 10 questions covering basic railroad knowledge and trivia. Employees could complete the quiz at the event or return to their desks or workstations to participate. Everyone who completed the quiz with a score of at least 20% was entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card.
The winner was Clerk Nicholas Blakemore.
Retired Trainmaster John Christensen returned for the event with his fresh-squeezed lemonade, which has been a crowd favorite at previous BRC events.
Behind the grill, employees prepared hot dogs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers, while ice cream provided a cool finish on a summer afternoon.
Assistant Chief Mechanical Officer Bob Perham was among those who helped make this possible.
“It was absolutely awesome,” Perham said. “It was great being able to cook for everyone and have great conversations with many of the employees who showed up. Just seeing how everybody who pitched in to help to make it successful was amazing.”
Director of Safety and Compliance Mark Labbe also helped with the cooking and said the event provided an opportunity to show appreciation for the team members working in the field each day.
“It was nice to cook for them and converse with them outside of their work area,” Labbe said.
He gave special recognition to Manager of Human Resources and Labor Relations Caitlin Kerney and Digital Media Coordinator Joe Chacon for organizing the event, which marked its second year. Labbe said they put a lot of effort into making it happen, and he looks forward to next year᾿s event.
Resource Day also included a blood drive hosted by Vitalant. Thirty team members donated blood, surpassing the 23 donors recorded the previous year and seven donors the year before.
Labbe gives a special thanks to the blood donors for helping the local community.
For Kerney, the participation reflected the event’s broad reach.
“We had good representation from all the crafts that work here,” she said.
