By Karen Fernau
GCU News Bureau
There’s no bah-humbugging around Ray Flores and his co-workers at Grand Canyon University.
The record specialist recently spent eight weekend hours decorating a large swath of their 27th Avenue office.
The not-so-secret office Santa placed miniature trees in cubicles and wrapped doors in holiday paper. He strung lights into the shape of a tree and around chairs.
“Christmas is my season. I love it and love spreading the Christmas spirit,” Flores said.
When Vanessa Daniels first saw his work, she was speechless.
“It took my breath away,” she said. “But seeing the decorations every day warms our hearts. He’s made it so easy to get into a holiday mood.”
As Ben Ponnet, a former GCU volleyball player who graduated in 2014 and received a graduate degree this year, explained, “All I have to do to get into the holiday spirit is to look at the trees in our cubicles.”
Flores and his holiday spirit is contagious.
Nearby accounting specialists turned their line of cubicles into candy cane lane for their 12 days of Christmas celebrations.
Each day ushers in a new Christmas theme, from Jingle Bells, Rudolph, Grinch and “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to snowmen. Co-workers dress and decorate to fit the theme.
On the “Reasons for Christmas” day, they dress as a favorite character from the nativity scene.
The celebration ends on Tuesday, Dec. 20 with a potluck lunch, ugly sweater contest and gift exchange.
Bodae Heath, lead accounts payable specialist, considers the holiday decorations more than just eye candy.
“They look fabulous, but what’s best about them is that they make us feel good,” she said. “The decorations, the Rudolph hats, the candy canes and cubicles decked out for Christmas put us in a holiday mood.”
For the GCU family, the purple-and-silver decorated trees, stockings hung with care, poinsettias and Frosty make for a festive season.
“We spend almost as much time with our work family as our families at home,” Flores said. “So why not bring the season to the office?”
Contact Karen Fernau at (602) 639-8344 or [email protected].
