Top Three Stores Selected in ¡HOLA! Store Display Contest
More than 20 stores entered but only three won in a store display contest conducted by ¡HOLA!, a special emphasis program at the Exchange.
The United States Army Garrison Humphreys PX team took home first, with the Yokota BX taking second and the Hill BX taking third.
The USAG Humphreys PX received $250 for team-building events. Each winning store received a Director/CEO challenge coin.
The contest was held to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, a month-long observance recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the culture, history and achievement of the United States.
USAG Humphreys Exchange Food Court Supervisor Carlos Galvan said he and Visual Merchandiser Maeng Wan-Cha wanted to create a display that immediately caught the attention of shoppers and chose life-sized cutouts of associates of Hispanic descent. Those associates, including Galvan, were Anani Camacho, food service worker; Ashley Gonzalez, sales associate; and Cynthia Gutierrez, materials handler stock room associate.
“Maeng and I were brainstorming on how we can make Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month fun and welcoming,” Galvan said. “It brought a feeling of warmth to a lot of people. A lot of shoppers and friends were amused, laughed, smiled and took selfies.”
When the Humphreys PX was declared the first-place winner, Galvan said he and Wan-Cha were initially speechless. “We called one another and congratulated each other on a job well done,” Galvan said.
The USAG Humphreys Exchange team won the ¡HOLA! store display contest with this display featuring life-sized cutouts of associates of Hispanic descent, including Food Court Supervisor Carlos Galvan (who helped conceive the display); Anani Camacho, food service worker; Ashley Gonzalez, sales associate; and Cynthia Gutierrez, materials handler stockroom associate.
Yokota Exchange Visual Merchandiser Tom Sullivan said he, Sales Area Manager Ricky Cabral and Display Artist Masami Ohtsuba wanted to create something simple but impactful. They also included a video presentation, spotlighting the history of notable Hispanic service members.
“The display was directly in the front entrance of the building, so it was visible to the majority of customers,” Sullivan said. “We’d often see people stopping at the display to watch the video and take a moment to recognize the significance of the message.”
When Sullivan learned the team scored second, he said he was honored. “It is always nice to be recognized for our work as we try to put pride in all our projects,” Sullivan said.
The Yokota AB Exchange team won second place in the ¡HOLA! contest with this display that included a video presentation, spotlighting the history of notable Hispanic service members.
Hill Base Exchange Visual Merchandiser Corran Stockstill took the lead in designing the display with input from her fellow associates.
“Our general manager led the way by asking us to put associates on the board, and I loved the idea. I wanted to really make it employee-centric,” Stockstill said. “When I make boards for the special emphasis months, I’m going to be including associates from now on if they’d like to be included.”
Stockstill also made sure to include shoppers. “I like to have an activity for children to learn and be involved,” Stockstill said. “This month, we had coloring pages and made bookmarks with famous Hispanic Americans.”
When the team won third, Stockstill said, they were excited. “The whole team is so excited to have won,” Stockstill said. “I think this is a great way to encourage participation with our special emphasis programs.”
The display contest coincides with a wider effort to update and modernize logos across special emphasis programs at the Exchange. The current logo representing ¡HOLA! was unveiled in August 2022.
The Hill AFB Exchange team won third place in the ¡HOLA! contest with this associate-focused display.
Exchange Special Emphasis Program and EEODI
Associates interested in learning more about ¡HOLA! (Hispanic Opportunity, Leadership and Awareness) can contact program managers Jose Hernandez (HernandezJose2@aafes.com), Alberto Perez Jr. (PerezAl@aafes.com), or Dora Trillo (TrilloDE@aafes.com) for more information. For information about Exchange special emphasis programs or the Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion office, visit the SharePoint portal.
