A Columbia employee donates toys for the holidays.

Columbia Employees Celebrate Holidays with Toy Donations and Gingerbread House Contest

December 18, 2019

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Highlights of a Dec. 13 holiday breakfast hosted by CUIMC Chief Executive Lee Goldman, MD, included the debut of a gingerbread house building contest and the annual toy drive, which collected hundreds of gifts for neighborhood children. 

Toys donated by Columbia employees (Photo: Jennifer O'Rourke)

Toys donated by Columbia employees (Photo: Jennifer O'Rourke)

On display at the breakfast were several whimsical gingerbread houses made by department and office teams. Gingerbread house-making kits were distributed in advance of the event and colleagues showed their creative flair in building and decorating their creations in two categories: classic gingerbread house and representation of office, role, or function at CUIMC. A panel of volunteer judges chose winners: 

Classic Gingerbread House 

  • 1st Place: CUIMC Finance Office/Controller/Budget/Payroll 
  • 2nd Place: ColumbiaDoctors/CMIO and Intentional Redesign 
  • 3rd Place: CUIMC Housing and Campus Operations 

Representation of the Office, Role, or Function at CUIMC

  • 1st Place: CUIMC Facilities/Finance
  • 2nd Place: CUIMC Facilities/Capital Projects Management 
  • 3rd Place: CUIMC Facilities/Engineering

View photos of the gingerbread entries and more in our photo gallery:

Photos by Jennifer O'Rourke

Columbia employees gather at the CUIMC Holiday Breakfast on Dec. 13, 2019.
Columbia employees admire the gingerbread houses built by colleagues for the CUIMC Holiday Breakfast.
Dean Goldman is pictured with a member of the CUIMC Housing and Campus Operations Office, which won 3rd Place/Honorable Mention in a gingerbread house-making contest.
Dean Goldman is pictured with a member of the ColumbiaDoctors - CMIO and Intentional Redesign team, which won 2nd Place in a gingerbread house-making contest.
Dean Goldman is pictured with a member of the CUIMC Finance Office, which won 1st Place in a gingerbread house-making contest.
First place gingerbread
Dean Goldman is pictured with a member of the CUIMC Facilities – Engineering team, which won 3rd Place in a gingerbread house-making contest.
Dean Goldman is pictured with a member of the CUIMC Facilities – Capital Projects Management team, which won 2nd Place in a gingerbread house-making contest.
Second place gingerbread
Dean Goldman is pictured with a member of the CUIMC Facilities – Finance team, which won 1st Place in a gingerbread house-making contest.
First place gingerbread
Columbia employees gather at the CUIMC Holiday Breakfast on Dec. 13, 2019.
Columbia employees gather at the CUIMC Holiday Breakfast on Dec. 13, 2019.
Columbia employees gather at the CUIMC Holiday Breakfast on Dec. 13, 2019.

  
The Office of Government and Community Affairs will distribute the donated toys—a total of 450 gathered at the event—to neighborhood organizations.