Read how a sock contest led to a practical joke, how a kitten became a stowaway passenger on a visitor's truck, and how Mayo colleagues banded together to give others second chances.

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"Here and There" gives you a glimpse at happenings across Mayo Clinic, giving special attention to the lighter moments. If you and your colleagues had some fun or stumbled across something interesting, drop the News Center team a note, and include a photo or video if you can.

See what your colleagues have been up to recently.

Sock contest leads to practical joke

Colleagues on the Patient Access and Desk Operations teams at Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont decided to have a little fun with their friends from Valet Services recently.

It started with a facility-wide wacky sock contest to celebrate Healthcare Week last month. Jaime Bliesmer, Patient Access Registration, came in second with socks that featured her face. Riley Wokasch, Valet Parking, who was one of the celebrity judges, jokingly told Bliesmer that the only way she could have won the contest was if she had socks with his face on them.

Challenge accepted, it turns out. Bliesmer rounded up her colleagues in Patient Access and Desk Operations and ordered 15 pairs of custom socks featuring the faces of Wokasch and his valet colleague Dave Curtis.

"We all wore them on the same day and walked past the valet area for them to notice," Bliesmer says, adding that it took Wokasch and Curtis around two and a half hours to figure out what was happening.

"Needless to say, many laughs were had that day," Bliesmer says.

Furry passenger hitches a ride

Mayo Clinic in Arizona valet attendant Adrian Duran heard a noise coming from a visitor's truck on a recent morning. When he opened the door, Duran discovered a small, stray kitten. Unbeknownst to the truck owner, the furry passenger had climbed between the door hinge and the engine firewall and got stuck.

Duran managed to free the kitten with the help of Tim McGrath, General Services. Additional feline support came from Julie Haggar and Elijah Carter, both of Security and Visitor Services. The kitten, who has since been named Ramsey, was unharmed and has found a new home with a Mayo staff member in Arizona.

Florida staff donate professional clothing, accessories

Mayo Clinic in Florida staff donated more than 800 pounds of professional clothing and accessories during the summer Operation New Hope clothing drive. The items, collected in June and July, filled two pallets and will be used by Operation New Hope's Ready4Work clients.

The Ready4Work program has helped thousands of Floridians reconnect to the workforce after involvement with the criminal justice system. Over 24 years, the program has been lauded for its success in the community, reducing recidivism, improving public safety, reuniting families and encouraging self-sufficiency.

Mayo Clinic in Florida has been a strong supporter of Operation New Hope.

"Mayo Clinic's willingness to support second chances is a powerful reminder to our community that we should be not defined only by our mistakes, but rather by our shared values and commitment to giving everyone another try," says a recent blog post on the Operation New Hope website. "Their generosity will go a long way in helping our clients prepare for successful careers."

Share your news

Help us grow this column by sending your contributions to the News Center team. If you and your colleagues had some fun or stumbled across something interesting, drop the team a note, and include a photo or video if you can. If you found it interesting, chances are your colleagues will, too.