Massachusetts General Hospital

MGH Picnic: Eat, Sing, Play

16/Jul/2010

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Nothing says summer like a hot, sunny day, and Mother Nature delivered for this year's annual Employee Summer Picnic hosted by MGH President Peter L. Slavin, MD. With temperatures climbing into the high 80s, more than 10,000 employees enjoyed a picnic lunch prepared by MGH Nutrition and Food Services, carnival games and the MGH Star Performer competition.

 
Liz McKay, of the Endocrine Unit, was named the 2010 MGH Star Performer after she wowed a packed Bulfinch Tent with her rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Six other MGHers --Margie Smith, MSW, of Social Services, Jo Biviano of the Cancer Center, Ben Castleton of Performance Improvement, Sony Mysore of Psychiatry, Isa Katimy of Police and Security, and Meredith Lowmaster of the Center for Comparative Medicine --also competed for this year's title.

The finalists were chosen by judges Carmen Vega-Barachowitz, MS, CCC-SLP, director of Speech, Language and Swallowing Disorders and Reading Disabilities; Tony James, vice president of Network Development; and Gino Chisari, RN, director of the Norman Knight Nursing Center. After each finalist's performance, the judges gave feedback, but ultimately, it was up to the audience to vote for their favorite.

The MGH Fund raffled pairs of Red Sox tickets throughout the day and two employees -- Pedro Mordan of Environmental Services and Brenna Doherty of Patient Care Services Clinical Support Services -- proved they have the "top guns" at the MGH Fund Fast-Pitch Tent, with top throws of 82 mph and 60 mph, respectively. Mordan and Doherty each received four tickets to see the Red Sox play against the Mariners at Fenway Park in August.