Steve Johnson and Susan Newman serve dinner at Cornell's Employee Celebration.

Hailei Wei, center, with daughters Shaine, left, and Sophie.

With the combined draw of Big Red athletics and a community dinner, more than 2,400 Cornell employees, retirees and family members enjoyed the Employee Celebration Jan. 19 in Bartels Hall.

Many families scheduled their afternoon to take in basketball and hockey games as well as a dinner of chicken parmesan, pasta, salad and dessert. Other attractions included giveaways and activities from units including the Cornell University Police, Benefit Services, Environmental Health and Safety, and the United Way of Tompkins County, which is still accepting pledges to its 2012-13 campaign. Companion animals that members of the College of Veterinary Medicine brought with them were first-time crowd-pleasers -- from the largest, a Great Pyrenees named Brooklyn, to the smallest, a Jack Russell terrier named Eva -- and drew attention to the programs the vet school offers.

The Big Red women's basketball team defeated the Columbia Lions, 68-54, but the men fell to Columbia, 67-58. The women's hockey team bested Clarkson, 3-1.

"Thanks go to the many volunteer employees and the leadership team," said Cheryl McGraw, manager for employee outreach and connections and coordinator of the event. "Thanks also to Cornell Athletics, Frito Lay, The Boatyard Grill, Ciao, Bookers, Agava and John Thomas Steak House for their door prize donations," she said.

McGraw also thanked sponsors Cornell Catering, the Department of Athletics and Physical Education, the Division of Human Resources and Safety Services, Pepsi and Aetna, for "making it possible for so many in the Cornell community to attend."