Despite the wet weather, Wellness Day was filled with informative workshops, fun activities, and song and dance.

Brock University’s 20th annual employee Wellness Day began on a high note Thursday, June 20 as local musician Gavin Ray led a large crowd in a singalong of popular tunes, such as Brown Eyed Girl, Lean on Me and Sweet Caroline.

“The energy was contagious,” said Kathryn Walker, Manager, Health Management and Wellness. “Everyone was moving around, clapping and singing along. It was a great way to start the morning in a fun and healthy way.”

Over the course of the day, more than 600 registered employees participated in 69 workshops, including goat yoga, stand up paddle boarding and a tour of Brock’s underground tunnels.

Throughout the day, employees were treated to a complimentary lunch, a voucher for a beverage and a snack, and a souvenir lunch bag. Two lucky employees each went home with an extra gift. Senior Electronics Technologist David Curado was the recipient of a parking upgrade, compliments of Parking Services and Biological Sciences Senior Laboratory Demonstrator Parthajit Mikherjee won a bicycle donated by Green Shield Canada. The prizes were randomly drawn from a list of employees who attended the opening plenary and closing remarks, respectively.

More than 70 prizes were awarded from the selling of Penny Sale tickets. This year’s fundraiser raised $4,500 for four non-endowed student awards supporting wellness. Employees can check the Human Resources SharePoint site to see if they purchased a winning ticket.

Also taking place at Wellness Day was the announcement of the third annual Health, Safety and Wellness Champion Award. Robert Glass, Manager, Mechanical Services with Facilities and Services, was recognized for his strong leadership and willingness to devote extra time to safety, both at Brock and as a volunteer firefighter in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

During closing remarks, President Gervan Fearon talked about the importance of health and wellness and the University’s 20-year tradition of Wellness Day.

“If you ask people what their most valuable asset is, they would often say time,” he said. “But, if you’ve ever been ill, all of a sudden, it’s no longer your time that is precious, it’s your health and wellness. Wellness Day allows us to pause. It recognizes the importance of health and wellness and prioritizes it in our community.”

Within the next week, Wellness Day participants can expect to receive an email from Human Resources that includes a link to an online survey. Feedback gathered from the survey will help to plan future Wellness Days.

In addition to the photos found below, more images can be found on the Brock Sharepoint site here.

If you have photos you would like to add to the gallery, please email them to Jocelyn Titone, along with the name of the workshop and, if possible, the names of the people in the photo.