One of the greatest assets at Clarus Commerce is its culture and the holiday season truly reflects just that through a sense of giving, entertainment, collaboration, and fun for all.
For a company like Clarus, which promotes a positive, engaging culture, the holiday season is a wonderful time of year.
During the season of giving, Clarus team members embody that special altruistic feeling that permeates this festive time of year.
Salvation Army Angel Tree Program
The holiday season at Clarus kicked off in mid-November with our Clarus Cares program where we partnered with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program for the third year in a row.
The Angel Tree program is an opportunity to spread joy and cheer to the less fortunate during the holidays.
As we set up our display of wish list tags from children in the greater Hartford area, I received many wonderful comments of praise and enthusiasm.
One employee said she was looking forward to this all year!
People immediately flock to the display to get first dibs to buy a wish item.
We are very proud to say the Clarus team purchased 150 items that will make this holiday brighter for our community.
The best part?
When they came to pick up the toys, their faces were in shock. They said it was by far the largest pick up they’ve had in years.
Clarus Holiday Party at Mohegan Sun
Soon after our Angel Tree shopping began, it was time to get ready for our annual holiday party at Mohegan Sun Casino.
It is an evening so many look forward to because it allows everyone to mingle, meet team members’ spouses, have a wonderful dinner and dessert, and maybe a drink or two!
We filled the Cabaret Theatre with 167 attendees.
The evening began with a social hour complete with an open bar and an array of crudité and cheeses. That was followed by a lavish dinner buffet and dessert, which all led up to a moving speech from our CEO, Tom Caporaso.
In talking about the importance of the work life balance, Tom shared a personal story about complications his twin daughters experienced when they were born and the subsequent followups early in their lives.
Tom spoke about how that experience impacted he and his wife, Michelle, and how he became a better father, husband, leader, and friend because of it.
He said that what we do here at Clarus is wonderful and the company has grown significantly and continues to do so. But nothing is more important than your family.
Take the time to go to events for your kids and or be there for them in any other way necessary because those things matter the most.
Tom’s heartfelt message was felt by all.
And the Clarus Award Winners Are …?
Following Tom’s speech was our annual video. Our creative team put together a video that truly captured the essence of Clarus, telling the company’s story from its humble beginnings, through its many milestones, and growth to now more than 115 employees.
Near the end of the evening came the highly anticipated Clarus Awards.
Each year our employees vote on three categories:
Most Valuable Player: This year we had a tie in this category. Congratulations to Beth Weiner, Vice President, Client Services; and Jenna Buttrick (Marketing Content Specialist).
Rookie of the Year: Congratulations to Jennifer Kellogg (Office Coordinator).
Unsung Hero: Congratulations to John Kavanaugh (FPA Manager).
Tom gave out his Spotlight Award to Chris Cobb, VP, Retail Partnerships. Congratulations to Chris!
What Do Ugly Sweaters, Tiki Bars, and “Home Alone” Have in Common?
We capped off our holiday festivities on Dec. 18 with our annual office holiday party which consists of an Ugly Sweater Contest, Cube Decorating Contest, and a White Elephant gift swap.
The Ugly Sweater Contest showcased gaudy and mismatched attire throughout the office. In the end, Software Engineer Ian O’Loughlin snagged the top prize with his ugly sweater of dogs and camels.
To no surprise, many departments went all out to decorate their respective cube areas.
We had a Margarita tiki bar, a Home Alone movie theme complete with free pizza, Whoville, a carnival, Clarus Memory Lane, and an Elf workshop, to name a few.
And once again, we had a tie for the win.
Our product team won for its Clarus Memory Lane cube and our B2B/MarOps team won for its spin on the Home Alone movie.
The afternoon ended with some friendly stealing of several highly sought-after gifts such as wine, Tito’s, Starbucks gift cards, and a gift card to DiFiore Ravioli Shop paired with our infamous, legendary Clownbird (an ongoing tradition at Clarus).
In the end, everyone had fun and the Clarus Holiday tradition provided wonderful, lasting memories.
If you’re interested in joining our team of merry elves, head over to our careers page and check out our culture video!
Erica Wilson
Erica Wilson is our Manager of Culture & Programs. She oversees our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program and special projects for company events and employee engagement. When she's not managing multiple projects and planning company events, Erica enjoys spending time with her family and attending concerts, plays and comedy shows.