Benefits Human Resources

In-person EAD Activities

• Free pizza and dessert!
• University of Utah Department/groups and local business swag!
• The Campus Store and the Utah Red Zone are providing all employees 20% OFF, all day, at all locations! This includes the store on the stadium concourse; Main Campus store; Sandy Campus Store; Health Science store and online. Take an Extra 50% OFF all Clearance selection. Use code “THANKU20” for online checkout at Campus Store and Utah Red Zone (Exclusions apply, see store for details).
• NEW - EAD Crafts Market! Randi Lile and Ceramic Artistica ASV will be selling their wares, so be sure to bring your wallets and browse some awesome pottery, ceramics, and more!
• NEW - Professional headshots courtesy of University Marketing & Communications! 
• NEW - University of Utah Public Safety K9 Unit Demonstrations! Watch highly-trained canines perform explosive materials detections! Read more about K9 demonstrations at EAD.
• NEW - The Game Machine Truck! Play a round of Super Smash Brothers and/or other gamer classics with your colleagues!
• The return of Flashbacc the Band! This cover band will have you groovin' to the classic rock sounds of the 60's and 70's! Read more about Flashbacc!
• Receive a custom and unique-to-you poem printed on vintage typewriters courtesy of The Poem Pros! Read more about The Poem Pros!
• Print & Mail Photo Booth! Take commemorative photos with your friends and colleagues against U of U backdrops!
• Live juggling entertainment presented by master juggler, Tanner Alder!
• Temporary Airbrush Tattoos! Rock your U of U spirit with a nonpermanent tattoo!
• Flu Shot Clinic
  • Note: We will only be offering seasonal flu shots this year, and no COVID shots/boosters. 
• Service Corner! Help create hygiene kits and write words of encouragement for those in need for the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake City
• Hooked on Books! Browse through donated books, CDs, DVDs, etc. for an EAD souvenir!
  • If you would like to donate your old books, CD's, DVD's, etc. to Hooked on Books, there are drop-off donation boxes located at the Marriot Library, the S.J. Quinney College of Law Library, Eccles Health Sciences Library, Campus HR's downtown office, U of U Hospital, the College of Humanities, and the Physics Department.
• Field activities, including:
  • The ever-popular football field goal kick! Embody your favorite Utes player and see if you can score a field goal!
  • Challenge your friends to a game of corn hole, giant Jenga, giant Connect Four or inflatable basketball!
  • Putting with the Police! See if you can score a hole-in-one using a comically large golf putt alongside the U Police!

• Goosechase! All University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute and UHealth faculty and staff (including student staff) are invited to participate in our virtual Employee Appreciation Day (EAD) Photo Scavenger Hunt through Goosechase! While all employees are invited to play, this is a great opportunity for work-from-home/virtual, out-of-state or out-of-country employees to participate in EAD; it's also a great chance for employees who can't make it to the in-person EAD event to participate as well! This activity will be available to play during EAD Week: September 25 - 29, 2023. 
  • Account registrations are allowed prior to EAD Week, so be sure to register to be ready to play!
• Hospital & Clinics Treat Stations - We are working on bringing EAD directly to Hospitals & Clinics employees through treat/cookie stations set up throughout various clinical locations. More information coming soon!

Employee Appreciation Day is made possible through our campus partnerships. Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

We welcome community businesses and campus departments who want to reach out to our employees at Employee Appreciation Day. If you are a local business/community organization interested in participating in this year’s event, please reach out Jordan Schmitz at jordan.schmitz@utah.edu. If you are a campus department interested in participating, please reach out to Jacob Sorenson.

2023 Sponsorship Packages

TRAX

Scanning your Ucard and hopping on TRAX for a free ride is one of the best ways to get to EAD this year! The Red Line will bring you directly to the Stadium Station located just off the western parking lot so you can easily enter through Gate D. Use UTA's website to plan out your TRAX journey!

Campus Shuttles

• BSB Downtown & Hospital to Stadium Route
• Research Park to Stadium Route

Parking

Parking is extremely limited for this event, so we highly suggest utilizing TRAX and campus shuttles. If you do choose to park, both the west side stadium parking lot (Lot 1) and the east side stadium parking lot (Lot 9) are available first-come first-served. There will be reserved stalls for EAD vendors, sponsors, etc. and U of U leaders volunteering at the event only.

Click here to download the venue map for EAD!

Consider volunteering for this year’s Employee Appreciation Day! This event wouldn’t be possible without the help of generous U employees who volunteer 1-2 hours of their time in various areas, such as activities/games, food & beverage, and more!

Volunteer sign-ups for 2023 have closed. Please contact Mandy.Skonhovd@utah.edu for last minute volunteer sign-ups!

1. Who is allowed to attend the in-person Employee Appreciation Day (EAD)? University of Utah, HCI and U of U Health faculty and staff are invited to attend! Student employees are also invited to attend, but will need to email EAD@utah.edu with their UNID before September 28 so that employment can be verified.
2. Who is not allowed to attend the in-person EAD? Due to safety concerns, pets are not allowed to attend (service animals are welcome, however). Children and family members of employees will not be permitted to attend either. Essentially, if you do not have a valid UNID or U Card, you will not be allowed to enter the event.
3. Who is allowed to participate in the virtual EAD activity (Goosechase)? Any University of Utah, HCI and U of U Health faculty and staff member (including students) who can't make it to the in-person event can participate in this virtual activity! If you work-from-home, work from a different state, are a part of our University of Utah Korean campus, or an employee in our Hospitals/Clinics system (who often can't leave their shifts for the in-person event), this is a great opportunity to get involved! You can still participate if you attend the in-person event too.
4. What do I need to bring with me to EAD this year? All employees will need to ensure they bring their Ucard to the event - it will be scanned before they can enter. No entrance will be permitted with a valid Ucard. Student employees will need to bring their Ucard and a printout of the email from EAD@utah.edu confirming their employment. While all activities and food/drink/dessert are free, guests are also encouraged to bring their wallets as there may be opportunities for vendors selling merchandise.
5. What is the bag policy for this event? Guests will be given tote bags courtesy of our Presenting Partner, TIAA, as they arrive at the event. Guests are asked to leave backpacks, workbags, large purses, etc. at home/work, but if they do bring them to the event, they will be searched by our on-site security team.
6. How do I enter the event if ADA access is required? If you arrive at  the event near Gate D (the historical entrance to EAD) off the main stadium parking lot, you will find an ADA entrance located near the Gate E lobby area. You will take the lobby elevator to the 2nd floor to then exit onto the concourse. This is also the way for ADA access to the field level for field-level activities.

For further questions, please contact EAD@utah.edu.