NIH director Dr. Francis Collins sang the National Anthem at a baseball game pitting the Washington Nationals against the New York Mets on May 24 to celebrate Federal Workforce Day at Nationals Park.

This year was the 20th anniversary of the NIH Comcast Film Festival, an end-of-summer ritual for many NIH employees and neighbors. The festival took place on the grounds of Strathmore Hall.

Whether you called it Jonas, Snowzilla or something not suitable for an employee newsletter, the blizzard of Jan. 22-23 became an opportunity for NIH’ers to display their toughness and ingenuity. Many employees teleworked from home, while others—those in charge of patient care, animal welfare, security and other critical services—showed up for work as usual and sometimes stayed way longer than expected.

NIH patients, employees and their families were able to attend a special evening with the 146th and final edition of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. As in years past, clowns from the circus paid a call to NIH prior to the evening performance, stopping at both pediatric units in the CC as well as at the inn.

Clowns with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus visited several young patients at the Clinical Center during the day on Mar. 30. That evening, kids of all ages were treated to the annual Children’s Premiere Night put on by the circus at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

NLM’s Team L-eye-brarians—Aresh Pahlavan and Miranda Jarnot—took first honors in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Minute-to-Win-It competition.

The 8th annual Feds Feed Families summer food drive is in full swing. NIH staff are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items to knock out hunger. All donations will be directed to the Children’s Inn at NIH, the Safra Family Lodge and the Capital Area Food Bank.

Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) visited NIH on Apr. 28,where he toured a lab and greeted patients.

The NIH Police hosted the 23rd annual Police Awareness Day on May 17 in front of Bldg. 1. Various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies attended the event.

Several groups brought festive holiday cheer to the Clinical Research Center atrium during December.