On October 31, Allegius Credit Union celebrated the spookiest season of all with its annual
costume contest. This contest has been an employee favorite for many years with all four
Allegius Credit Union branches participating.
The departments at each branch decide on a group costume theme and decorate their
workspaces to match the theme. Photos of the costumes and decorations are then posted on
the Allegius Credit Union Facebook page, where the credit union’s members and other
Facebook users can judge each department’s ensemble. The photos from this year’s contest
will be posted on Friday and judging will be held over the weekend. After the votes are tallied on
Monday, the winners will be able to claim their prize of a free lunch and the coveted traveling
trophy.
This year, the Burns Harbor branch’s front office staff dressed as some of Disney’s most
infamous villains, like Gaston from “Beauty and the Beast,” the Queen of Hearts from “Alice in
Wonderland,” and Hades from “Hercules.” The Accounting and Resolutions departments
dressed up as pirates while the Member Support and Compliance departments dressed as
Mario Kart characters like Bowser, Peach, and, of course, Mario. Although they didn’t participate
in the contest, the leadership team even joined in the fun by donning pumpkin costumes.
John Figueroa, Member Development and Marketing Manager at Allegius Credit Union, dressed
up as Gru from the “Despicable Me” movie franchise for this year’s contest. He is thankful that
Allegius Credit Union lets him and his coworkers engage in fun activities like the Halloween
costume contest.
“The costume contest gives our staff something to look forward to every year,” Figueroa said.
“It’s probably my favorite event, and I’m not even a big Halloween fan. Our members get a kick
out of it, too. I think they’re glad to see that they bank at a credit union that is run by humans
rather than a bunch of corporate drones. It gives us the chance to show who we are as people
and display the lighthearted side of the company. While we all enjoy the friendly rivalry between
the departments and branches, this is ultimately about everyone coming together as a unit and
having some fun while we take care of business. I'm thankful that I work for a place that lets us
have some fun.”
Last Halloween, costume themes at the Burns Harbor branch included Beetlejuice, a prison
theme, and M&Ms. The Valpo branch went with a “KISS” theme, which featured “KISS” bass player Gene Simmons and three Hershey’s Kisses. The Hobart branch went as the Addams
Family, and the Valparaiso branch chose a “Momsters” theme.
Marlene Stubbs, Member Relations Specialist at the Burns Harbor branch, elected to go as
Cruella de Vil from “101 Dalmatians.” She is excited to go head-to-head with her coworkers in
the contest this year.
“I love competition,” Stubbs said. “I enjoy seeing how much everyone gets into the contest. It
makes for a great day at the credit union because, even though we are participating at separate
branches, we can still connect with one another and enjoy ourselves. Our members don’t get to
see this side of us on a daily basis. When they see us laughing and joking in costume, they feel
more at ease and will join in and have fun with us. I chose to go as Cruella de Vil this year
because she is fierce. I love the glamour and style of Glen Close’s Cruella, and I knew I had to
channel that for my costume. I'm having a great day today. It's been so much fun.”
The Allegius Credit Union branch in Valparaiso dressed as spooky clowns this year. Faux
cobwebs, streamers, balloons, and signs warning of killer clowns were hung up in the lobby.
Fresh popped popcorn, gummy eyeballs, cupcakes, and plenty of candy were available for the
branch’s visitors to enjoy.
Rebecca Christy, Lead Teller at Allegius Credit Union Branch in Burns Harbor drew inspiration
from the character Pennywise from the movie “IT” for her scary clown costume. Her branch has
been preparing for the contest since early September and she is pleased that the day of the
contest has finally arrived.
“Our branch went with a spooky clown theme because we wanted to stand out a little bit this
year,” Christy said. “We all get excited about it, and we honestly don't care whether we win or
not. We just had a blast decorating and dressing up. It makes the work day so much fun. The
costume contest is such a nice break from the day-to-day, and I think it speaks to Allegius Credit
Union’s fun spirit. It’s a wonderful company to work for. It’s all about engaging with the
community and giving the employees a morale boost. I’d like to encourage everyone to go to the
Allegius Facebook page and vote!”
For more information about the services that Allegius Credit Union offers, please
visit allegius.org and to vote in the costume contest please visit facebook.com/Allegius.
