By: Veronica Blankenship – Chief People and Communications Officer
In 1987 two guys were sitting in a bar on a rainy night, listening to the Talking Heads, when an idea sparked. And here we are almost four decades later, celebrating Talking Rain’s 38 th birthday!
We kicked off the day with a curated playlist featuring four decades of hot jams, pumping through the speakers as the clouds parted (because of course they did—it’s TRBC tradition!). Rain Makers, clad in black neon sweatshirts (yes, they glow in the dark), filled the parking lot outside the Talking Rain “Ice Labs.” Surrounded by food trucks serving some of the best pizza I’d tasted in a long time, our Rain Makers gathered not just for a party, but for a purpose!
I’ve been a Rain Maker for over 15 years, and I’m still inspired by how we innovate and connect. Today was no exception.
In addition to celebrating our company’s birthday, we also came together to celebrate mental health. As much as we like to say we live life in full flavor and we think the world should too, times can be tough, and you need a spark of light – that’s where the neon comes in! To honor May as Mental Health Awareness Month and our birthday, we drew inspiration from our nonprofit partner, The Jed Foundation (JED). They created a program called Neon Nights, organized and led by college students to bring attention to mental health on campuses across the country. The light bulb moment was how to bring the Neon Nights concept to our campus for Rain Makers to take part in and learn more about JED’s mission.
To begin, we transformed our gym into a rave atmosphere, complete with neon-lit games – like ping pong and tic-tac-toe, neon mini golf, and a Glow Bar complete with Sparkling Ice Caffeine and core flavors like my favorite… fruit punch! Nearby, a large mirror became an Affirmation Wall, inviting Rain Makers to write glowing inspirational messages to one another.
We also gave a big, neon shoutout to Lori Snider, a senior customer supply chain specialist, who has been with our company for 30 of its 38 years in business. “Who would’ve thought when walking in the door that I’d still be here 30 years later?” she said, crediting the company’s culture and team members for her desire to stick around.
In addition to supporting Neon Nights events, and celebrating 38 years of glowing and growing – we’re excited to share our commitment to community with our ongoing partnership with JED through the development of “Championing Mental Health: Winning Strategies for Student-Athletes and their work delivering the training to college coaches and athletic directors, helping them identify signs of mental distress among student-athletes, offer trauma-sensitive support, refer them to support when needed, and care for their wellbeing.
The day was incredible! From Rain Makers busting a move on the dance floor, to enjoying a slice of birthday cake – the energy and connection at the event was electric!
Here’s to 38 years of glowing and growing, and the incredible Rain Makers who make it all happen!
