This year’s Employee Appreciation and Hokie Wellness Fair was held May 21 at Lane Stadium.

All faculty, staff, and non-student wage employees who worked on our Blacksburg campus or surrounding locations were invited for a day of employee fun.  

“We appreciate the hard work and commitment our employees bring to the university,” said Bryan Garey, vice president for human resources. “It is great to see them come out and have a little fun with other collegues before vacation season begins.”

Approximately 3,000 employees attended the event.  

During the four hours, employees relaxed, enjoyed a buffet-style lunch, listened and danced to music by DJ Flex and bluegrass band Ashleigh Graham and Appalachian Highway, and gathered friends and participated in a variety of games and the popular 360-degree video booth and photo booth. 

Garey spoke briefly, thanking employees for another successful academic year. 

The Hokie Wellness Fair, co-sponsored by Grant Irby Realtor and Warm Hearth Village, hosted 70 exhibitors, a mixture of benefits, health and wellness, community, and Virginia Tech exhibitors.

Employees enjoyed massages; visited with all three Virginia Tech Cook Counseling Center therapy dogs as well as Ringo, Virginia Tech Police Department's miniature pony; received vaccinations and health screenings; participated in the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s Sharing the Road with Trucks program; and more.

The American Red Cross hosted a blood drive, where 39 units were collected, achieving 134.5 percent of the goal. A food drive was also held for The Market of Virginia Tech, where employees dropped off more than 130 pounds of nonperishable items. Hokie Wellness will announce the winner of the raffle soon.

In addition to the Employee Appreciation and Hokie Wellness Fair event in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech has many events taking place across the commonwealth to thank employees for their service and dedication. These events are handled locally, at different times, and in different ways more suitable to the location.

The greater Washington, D.C., area will host its Employee Appreciation Day at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 29, at Academic Building One in Alexandria.

Visit the Employee Appreciation Day and Hokie Wellness Fair website to view a picture gallery from this year’s celebration.

Share this story