UIT Spring Party recap: Warm temps and resilient Bees are a winning combination
L-R: Phil Kimball and Dax Christensen watch the May 22 minor league baseball game between the Salt Lake Bees and Albuquerque Isotopes.
If the past two years are any indication, UIT is a good luck charm for the Salt Lake Bees and the Utah weather gods.
After a stretch of cold and rainy weather, clouds gave way to partly sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s during the Bees’ matinee on May 23, 2024, at Smith’s Ballpark.
UIT employees enjoy the game from their seats below the Vista Deck at Smith's Ballpark, site of the 2024 UIT Spring Party.
“It’s a perfect day for baseball,” employee Clayton Norlen said during the annual UIT Spring Party, looking out at the Wasatch Mountains towering beyond the outfield wall, “… and you can’t beat this view.”
This is the final season at the Bees’ current location. The team, a Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, will start its 2025 season at a new ballpark in South Jordan’s Daybreak community.
The weather was nearly identical at the UIT Spring Party in 2023, as was the final score. The Bees rebounded with an exciting 7-6 comeback win after losing to the visiting Albuquerque Isotopes the night before. The team rode a four-run sixth inning to bring home its first win of the series.
About 200 UIT employees attended the event at Smith Ballpark’s Vista Deck. A build-your-own burger and hot dog buffet included mac and cheese, watermelon, sodas, and assorted chips and desserts. Guests who required dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan/vegetarian meals received veggie burgers, coleslaw, and desserts. After filling their plates, some UIT employees socialized and enjoyed their food at the counter overlooking the field, settled at tables traversing the deck, or drifted down to their seats in the stands.
“There are many parallels between baseball and the important work we do in UIT — neither succeeds without hard work, perseverance, passion, and teamwork,” said Chief Information Officer Steve Hess. “On behalf of UIT leadership, I can’t thank our employees enough for their daily contributions to support the University of Utah community.”
UIT leadership also extends their gratitude to the party planning and management team of Cassandra Van Buren, Jesse Drake, Patrick Harris, and Larrisa Turner, in addition to support from Aimee Ellett and Tammy Mabey.
Photos of the event:
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