Each year, AHRC Nassau’s Staff Appreciation Day aims to say thank you to team members with a day of fun, camaraderie, and gratitude. The event recognizes the talent and dedication of team members, who provide quality supports and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This year’s Staffapalooza: The Rockstar Staff Appreciation Tour, brought musical guests, food vendors, and games to the Brookville mansion to celebrate the 1,400 team members in attendance. From direct support staff to clinicians, administrators, and everyone in between, each employee plays an important role in advancing the agency’s mission.

“Staff Appreciation Day was really nice. They had great food. They had food trucks everywhere. There was karaoke going on in the back,” said Ephraim Dabney, a Direct Support Professional experiencing his first Staff Appreciation Day. “I played volleyball with coworker, and that was so much fun.”

On campus, people had their pick of activities, from volleyball to henna tattoos. Musical guests ranged from a DJ to a ten-piece live band. Delicious dishes were available from food trucks buffet options that could be found indoors or outdoors. Community partners—including Stony Brook University, Aflac, Cigna, Primerica, TD Bank, FourLeaf, New York Life and many others—joined the celebration to show their support for exceptional co-workers from AHRC Nassau, Citizens Options Unlimited, and Brookville Center for Children’s Services.

At neighboring Wheatley Farms, staff were welcomed to participate in farm tours starting  every half hour from 10 a.m. There, they had the option to meet with the ducks, goats, or horses; pet and feed them; or enjoy a few moments of peace by the meditation garden. Back at the mansion, there were standing appointments for massages and yoga sessions giving people ample options to unwind.

Throughout the day, it was incredible seeing people take a moment to enjoy themselves and relax while listening to the band play or playing in teams at the volleyball court. Contributing to the success of the event was the thoughtful work of amazing volunteers who took on everything from organizing to assisting people throughout the day.

Thank you to everyone who lent a hand and the amazing people who do their part to support people with disabilities every day.

You are true rockstars, and the greatest staff on earth.