With shirtsleeve temperatures and plenty of sunshine, spirits were high for Employee Celebration, Oct. 7. Winning a close Big Red men’s football game against Harvard, 17-14, didn’t hurt, either.

More than 3,000 Cornell employees, retirees and their families enjoyed barbeque chicken and pasta, served by Cornell President Martha E. Pollack, senior administrators, staff, students and retirees in Barton Hall.

Children also enjoyed face-painting, spinning a wheel for prizes at the United Way of Tompkins County table, looking through a telescope from the Department of Astronomy and putting on clean room suits – with the help of Beth Rhoades, senior research associate for the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility.

“Thanks to everyone who volunteered for Employee Celebration,” said Cheryl McGraw, human resources event manager. “We could not hold this event without all the efforts of our volunteer staff and students who came out on a beautiful fall day to help with setting up tables, serving dinner and cleaning up afterward.”

Employee Celebration is sponsored by the Division of Human Resources, Cornell Catering, CFCU Community Credit Union, the Department of Athletics and Physical Education, the Division of Infrastructure, Properties and Planning, Utz and PepsiCo.