In a battle between the administrative professionals and the bosses, the administrative professionals ran away with a resounding victory.
The bosses were pitted against their assistants Wednesday in an all-out feud at Adams Pointe Conference Center in Blue Springs, just one of the many activities planned to honor the administrative professionals by the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re celebrating the people who make the businesses run,” said Lara Vermillion, executive director of the chamber.
The annual Administrative Professional Luncheon drew a large crowd – about 183 people – and provided a lot of laughs as two teams faced off in Blue Springs’ own version of “Family Feud,” complete with a jewel-encrusted host, Dale Carter of KFKF.
“I think it’s just fun to watch them because they have fun with each other,” Vermillion said.
The game show portion of the lunch put the bosses against the administrative professionals to try and come up with the most popular answers to various questions – “What do you do in an airport” or “What is a type of fruit you eat for breakfast.”
After Mayor Carson Ross answered the first faceoff question, his team picked all but a few of the answers before striking out. On the steal, the administrative assistants won all the points for the round and never returned control of the game to the bosses.
Sharon Job with H&R Block has attended many of the administrative professionals lunches, but thought this year’s lunch was one of the best to date.
“It was light, it was what you needed,” Job said. “It takes your mind off the day.”
The audience even had a chance to get involved in the spirit of the day as two chamber members took turns asking each table to reach into their pockets or purses and be the first to retrieve the item asked for – a pencil, a bobby pin, a stick of gum, etc. The first person at the table to present the item won a prize.
Patricia Shelton, also with H&R Block, enjoyed the audience participation part of the day.
“The prizes they gave away were outstanding,” Shelton said.
Hannah Francis with Commerce Bank thought the entire luncheon was a fun event.
Likewise, Francis said events like the luncheon are a good way to honor hard working individuals in the business community.
“It’s just important every day to let them know how much they mean to us,” Francis said.
But the administrative professionals weren’t the only people to benefit from the luncheon. Both feuding teams played for a local charity with $1,000 at stake. The bosses played for Community Services League, and the administrative professionals played for StandUP Blue Springs’ Dental for Kids.
Because the administrative professionals won, StandUp Blue Springs’ Dental for Kids will benefit from the festivities. Each member of the team also pledged $100 to StandUp.
