DAC Family Luau

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

Each summer, the Detroit Athletic Club hosts an employee appreciation event, encouraging staff to bring their families to connect through food and entertainment as well as win prizes. The event enhances staff morale and the collective pride in our workplace. 

To encourage attendance, an employee committee organized a Family Day away from the workplace at Campus Martius Park - often referred to as “Detroit’s gathering space.” 

A portion of the park transforms into a manufactured beach—leading to the decision to create the Family Day theme of a luau. 

About 350 guests enjoyed a catered Hawaiian-inspired buffet, photo booth, shaved-ice truck, temporary tattoos, lawn games and a DJ spinning beach music. 

Polynesian dancers entertained and taught interested attendees the iconic hula dance. Watching Executive Manager Charles Johnson and other leaders learn to hula on stage provided an amazing moment of camaraderie for DAC staff, who saw that our top leadership can have fun with us all.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

A staff committee ensured that Family Day met the following criteria:

The location was offsite to allow staff and their families to fully relax away from their place of work. 

The location had to be private, secure and easily accessible from the DAC. 

High-quality food and drink from an outside company—and not the responsibility of DAC staff—had to be available to cater to all attendees and dietary restrictions. 

The resulting event had the positive if unintended effect of showing members of the public who wandered past that the DAC values and rewards its hard-working staff. Members of the DAC Board of Directors who attended were impressed by the event and proud of what was organized to celebrate staff.