Rommel Abad and sons cool off in the Splash Zone while little slugger Isabella Marinez-Rio takes a cut in the batting cage at RAND's Summer Party at Chelsea Piers, Connecticut.
To temporarily escape the grip of an extended heatwave, RAND coworkers, family, and friends fled the steamy city last Saturday for the air-conditioned facilities of Chelsea Piers, Connecticut (yes, you read that correctly—there’s a Chelsea Piers in Connecticut!) for RAND’s annual summer party.
The sports and recreational complex was the perfect setting for both the young and the young at heart (though not all of us are young at the knees) to enjoy a full day of indoor games and activities that included pools and water slides in the Splash Zone, a rock climbing wall, a batting cage, ice skating (what better way to cool off on a hot summer’s day?), speed chess, Scrabble, arts and crafts, and more.
Warming up for trampoline dodgeball.
Those who wanted to take a little breather from sporting or just chill retired to the terrace to hang out and sip sangrias. In the afternoon, RANDies had a choice of flexing their mental muscles in a lively trivia contest or competing in the RAND mini-Olympics. Our mini-Olympians navigated their way through an obstacle course, raced in relays, shot hoops, tossed the football, and played not just dodgeball, but trampoline dodgeball!
After the whirlwind of activities, we enjoyed dinner at Top of the Game Restaurant and finished the fun-filled day with do-it-yourself sundaes. What better and sweeter way to end a RAND summer party! We’re not sure how we’ll top it next summer, but we look forward to the challenge.
For more photos of RAND's 2016 summer party, visit our album on our Facebook page.
Joanna Kuther is RAND’s Operations Manager and party planner extraordinaire.
