The Joy and Generosity Behind the Cox Winter Social
Imagine stepping into your office on a December morning and finding the lobby glowing with lights, pine trees dotting the halls and a soft snowfall dusting the floor (courtesy of a very committed snow machine). That’s the experience Cox recreates each year as part of its winter social, a tradition that brings employees together for a full day of fun, connection and celebration.
And honestly, it’s pretty cool to work at a place that creates moments like this: a chance to slow down, enjoy the season and feel a little more connected to the people you work with.
But what really makes the day special is how it blends celebration with purpose. Alongside the festivities, Cox also uses this moment to give back. The event serves as a reminder that the season is about community, too, and encourages employees to support the people and places we serve.
Giving and spreading joy
The Cox winter social kicks off each year with a massive toy collection drive in partnership with Toys for Tots — a tradition that’s now more than 20 years strong.
Employees deliver toys into big, gift-wrapped boxes placed around campus, and by mid-morning, those boxes are overflowing. It’s a heartwarming sight to see: coworkers coming together to make the holidays brighter for children who need it most.
That spirit of generosity is what inspires employees like Stephanie Gates, a recruiting specialist, to volunteer in the toy drive. “This is the season of giving, and I feel really blessed to make this my way of giving to those who are less fortunate,” she said.
The giving doesn’t stop there. A few days ahead of the winter social, Cox volunteers team up with Hands On Atlanta and Free Bikes for Kidz to assemble bicycles that are donated to Toys for Tots. This year alone, the Cox team built 150 bikes, all showcased proudly during the event. If assembling a bike isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other ways to pitch in. Employees can also help stuff stockings for the Salvation Army during the winter social.
Together, these efforts show what makes the day so special. Yes, it’s a celebration, but it’s also a reminder of the impact we can make when we give our time, our energy and a little bit of heart.
Reconnecting and reflecting
Beyond giving back, the winter social offers employees a much-needed moment to pause, reset and simply enjoy time together. On this day, the workplace feels less like an office and more like a gathering place: lighter, brighter and buzzing with the kind of energy that only comes from being surrounded by familiar faces in a festive setting.
Picture this: music from Cox’s own band, The Mondays, drifting through the halls. Their upbeat renditions of “Let it Snow” and “This Christmas” create the perfect backdrop for catching up with coworkers you may not see every day. Nearby, you see groups of people gather around the hot chocolate bar and sweet treat stations and hear them swapping stories and sharing laughs between sips and bites.
Other fun activities throughout the day include a free holiday-inspired lunch, a photo booth and an ornament station to select your own take-home keepsake from the day. The newest addition this year was a silent auction, where employees could bid on festive gifts and see winners announced throughout the day.
While the annual spring social is all about good vibes and outdoor fun with your colleagues, the winter social also marks a time to look back on everything accomplished over the past year and feel proud of what the team has achieved together.
“It’s the one time of year where employees can celebrate a long, fruitful year and donate for a good cause,” explained Amirah Frye, workplace experience program manager at Cox and one of the planners for the event.
Our chairman and CEO, Alex Taylor, the current generation of leadership in our company’s 127-year history as a family-owned business, joined the celebration to share remarks and spend quality time connecting with employees.
“Every single one of you is a part of this story,” Alex said. “We’re in a consequential and meaningful year, and we’re planting the seeds of the future. We’re making all the right moves, and I just appreciate all the work everyone is doing to make it happen.”
By blending celebration, reflection and connection, the winter social becomes more than a holiday event; it’s a reminder of the people, moments and shared purpose that make working at Cox feel meaningful.
A behind-the-scenes look at the history of this event
Even though the winter social is an annual tradition, the planning behind it is anything but routine. As Tayo Akinsanya, a project manager from the planning team, shared: “There’s something new happening every year, which means there’s always new aspects to plan for.”
Originally, the winter social was a simple early-morning event centered on the Toys for Tots partnership. That changed in 2020 when employees were fully remote. For two years, the event shifted to a drive-thru experience where employees could drop off toy donations without gathering in person — a necessary change that ultimately sparked new ideas for the future of the tradition.
By 2022, with employees returning to campus, the event officially evolved into a full day of festivities. When Ty Hodge, director of culture and workplace experience at Cox, and his team took the lead, they reimagined the purpose of campus itself.
“You come to campus not just to do your job,” Ty explained. “We learned you could work anywhere. Campus should be a place where we can all come to connect, learn and have fun.”
Today, employees can wander through Cox’s winter village, stop by festive stations and enjoy a day that still honors the spirit of giving at the heart of this tradition — a celebration that employees look forward to every year and reflects the values that make Cox’s culture what it is.
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