And the Winners Are…

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Amanda Domalewski, Becca Lusk, Cassandra Sprigg, Cassie Sprigg, Catherine Garrison, Chili Cook Off, Diane Sopcynszki, Elliot Lusk, Hilton Garden Inn, Holladay Properties, Holladay Property Services Midwest, Kathy Williams, Lauren Quiett, Maple Lane Apartments & Executive Suites, Mary Baker, Melissa Fowler-Nelson, Melissa Morin, Shasta Kreighbaum, Shelby Seifer, Sicerie Brooks, Tim Baker, Tim Healy, West Jefferson Apartments, Wills Gardner

BY: CASSANDRA SPRIGG, ASSISTANT PROPERTY MANAGER & SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR – SOUTH BEND

A tradition exists every fall that draws employees in from around Michiana to compete in a battle for glory and bragging rights…

The Annual Chili Cookoff.

On Wednesday, October 7th, Holladay Properties’ South Bend office hosted the event at the Holladay-owned Hilton Garden Inn on State Road 933. A group of 16 chefs comprised of employees from the South Bend and Portage commercial offices, as well as Maple Lane Apartments and West Jefferson Apartments, competed in the 2-tiered competition for the titles of Best Chili and Best Dessert.

Competitors arrived at 10:30 AM to drop off their dishes, in hopes of a victory. The Chili Cookoff Committee led by Amanda Domalewski, Melissa Fowler-Nelson, Cassie Sprigg, Shelby Seifer and Diane Sopczynski then removed the chilies from their crockpots, carefully placing them in unmarked chaffing dishes, so that the judging would be impartial. Desserts were also put out and prepared for distribution to the judges.

The first tier of the cookoff involved a panel of 6 judges who were charged with awarding a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place dish based on their scores for the following:

CHILI
Appearance, aroma, consistency, initial taste and aftertaste

DESSERT
Appearance, taste, difficulty and creativity

Tim Healy, Mary Baker and Becca Lusk took on the challenge of judging 11 hearty chilies, while Catherine Garrison, Tim Baker and Elliot Lusk judged 9 unique desserts. After sampling each one, they completed their scorecards and submitted them for tallying.

Judges Elliot Lusk and Mary Baker

With the judge’s tasting complete, it was time to open the dishes for general audience review. Employees were able to sample each chili and dessert, and then vote for one of each item to win the coveted People’s Choice award.

After filling their stomachs to the brim, the results were in:

CHILI
1st Place – Melissa Morin
2nd Place – Wills Gardner
3rd Place – Shasta Kreighbaum
People’s Choice – Shasta Kreighbaum

DESSERT
1st Place – Kathy Williams
2nd Place – Cassie Sprigg
3rd Place – Lauren Quiett
People’s Choice – Cassie Sprigg

Winners Melissa Morin, Cassie Sprigg, Kathy Williams, Shasta Kreighbaum and Wills Gardner

Our winners now not only have bragging rights for the year, but also several fun prizes including PTO, gift-cards, hotel stays, etc. to enjoy as their spoils.

Kathy Williams, Shasta Kreighbaum and Sicerie Brooks

Cassie Sprigg and Shelby Seifer

Fun was had by all at the event, and we can’t wait until next year’s competition.

Congratulations to our winners!

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Spreading Cheer: The 2017 Boys & Girls Club Christmas Party

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Boys and Girls Club of St. Joseph County, Cassandra Sprigg, Cassie Sprigg, Catherine Garrison, Christopher Kidney, Community Service, Elliot Lusk, Erica Lawson, Gary Stump, Holladay Construction Group, Holladay Properties, Jeff Arthur, Jennifer Knox, John Phair, Kurt Palmer, LaSalle Elementary School, Lauren Quiett, Maple Lane Apartments & Executive Suites, Melissa Fowler-Nelson, Melissa Morin, Paul Phair, Todd Topolski, Tony Fitts, West Jefferson Apartments

On Tuesday, December 19^th, as part of the 2017 Holladay Day of Service, volunteers from Holladay Properties and Holladay Construction Groups’ South Bend office hosted the annual Boys & Girls’ Club Christmas Party at LaSalle Elementary School. Sporting “ugly” Christmas sweaters, the volunteers entertained children from Kindergarten through 6^th grade with a pizza party, carol singing, M&M’s bingo, marshmallow snowmen and gingerbread house building, and a Reindeer Relay.

The reindeer relay consisted of a series of 7 tasks that teams of 4 had to complete. The first team member had to spin around with their forehead against a wrapping paper roll, before putting an ornament on a spoon and delivering it to their team’s stocking, safely. The second team member was then tasked with wrapping a “gift” as fast as possible, then trying to unwrap it with mittens on. Next, the third team member had to put a balloon between their legs and “Penguin Waddle” to the “Santa Limbo” line, where they had to place the balloon under their shirt and limbo without their Santa belly touching the limbo ribbon. Finally, the fourth player, without using their hands, had to cook 3 candy canes, using 1 in their mouth.

Enjoy more photos from the event, below!

– First thing first: dinner time!

– 64 students went through 24 pizzas!

– Property Manager, Melissa Morin, and Maintenance Technician, Kurt Palmer, were there representing West Jefferson Apartments.

– HCG Project Coordinator, Erica Lawson, led her team of 5th graders to a win, with their Christmas village!

– Partner and CEO, John Phair, and his team got creative and presented their masterpiece, dubbed “Hotel Gumdrop.”

The Christmas Spirit is Alive in South Bend…

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Boys and Girls Club of St. Joseph County, Cassandra Sprigg, Cassie Sprigg, Gary Stump, Holladay Properties, Holladay Property Services Midwest, Jim Laskowski, John Phair, Kit Suhovecky, Kroc Center, LaSalle Elementary School, Lauren Quiett, Salvation Army, South Bend, Toys for Tots

By: Cassandra Sprigg
Social Media Coordinator – South Bend, IN

The spirit of giving has always been rich at Holladay Properties. This is especially true during the Christmas season. For the past few years, we have held raffles to raise money for local charities, collected groceries and items of necessity for pantries, and collected monetary donations for our communities during our annual holiday party. This year, under the encouragement of company President, John Phair, the South Bend office will be doing things a bit differently.

On Tuesday, December 19th, we will be sponsoring at Day of Service. Employees will be able to participate in any one or all of the following ways, by:

1. Donating an unwrapped gift for a child up to age 12 for Toys for Tots.
2. Distributing donations to families in need for the Salvation Army.
3. Hosting a Christmas party for the Boys & Girls Club at LaSalle Elementary School, a Holladay holiday tradition.

Over the past week, the office has collected several toys for the Toys for Tots drive. Those who have chosen to participate in the distribution will be at the Kroc Center from 12:00 – 5:00 PM on the Day of Service, working with the Salvation Army to hand out the collected toys, food, and other necessities to 2,000 people in need in St. Joseph County. Just under half of the South Bend office staff have signed up to participate in this event, with some also volunteering for the Boys & Girls Club Christmas Party.

At the Boys & Girls Club Christmas Party, volunteers will distribute pizza, sing carols, build marshmallow snowmen and gingerbread houses, play holiday bingo, and participate in a Reindeer Relay with students from LaSalle Elementary School. The event seeks to bring Christmas cheer to children whose families might not have the means to celebrate the holiday at home. 21 Holladay volunteers will be participating at the event from 3:30 – 5:30 PM on December 19^th, our largest group yet!

As John recently stated, “While our Holladay holiday party is on Thursday, December 21st, we also want to take time out to remember the true meaning of Christmas – giving to others.” By giving back to the community, the employees of Holladay Properties truly demonstrate a commitment to excellence.