It's time for the company Christmas party again -- an event most employers hope will boost morale and foster camaraderie. Company Christmas parties tend to start soon after Thanksgiving and continue into the week before Christmas.

Smaller companies often have Christmas parties at their business location while larger ones rent special venues. At the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, marketing director Shannon Buford said Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream of Sikeston, one of the largest employers in the region with 1,000 workers, held its Christmas Party there.

"They set up a very big party," said Buford. "There were a lot of tables and a lot of people."

Buford said many area companies booked the center as did clubs and organizations. He said the first booking was Dec. 7 and the last was Dec. 18. The 13 full-time employees of the Show Me Center and people associated with the university's basketball program also had a Christmas party at the center.

"We look for an open hole in the schedule where we can have a potluck lunch and a gift exchange," said Buford, adding that the 300 part-time employees gather for a picnic later in the year.

At Commerce Bank in Cape Girardeau, Kelly Faircloth said about 65 employees and their guests from the Cape and Jackson facilities had a party at a local restaurant. Following dinner, they played games and winners received gift certificates. She said the bank tries to hold its parties at different restaurants every year, and the restaurants provide holiday decorations.

At Southeast Missouri Hospital, employees are treated to a Christmas celebration that includes a catered meal served in the hospital's Harrison Room and this year built around the theme "Polar Express."

Debbie Bowers, human resources director, said the celebration was held Dec. 4 through Dec. 7.

"Five holiday meals were served at the hospital so that all shifts could enjoy the festivities. Catering the Christmas celebration this year was Dexter Bar-B-Que. In addition to the meal, there were drawings for more than 100 door prizes," said Bowers.

Paula Mayfield, a realtor at Century 21 Ashland Realty in Cape Girardeau, is in charge of organizing the company's Christmas parties. She said employees of all the Century 21s owned by Ken and Keith Inman have gathered at the Elks Lodge in Jackson the past three years.

"We had our party Dec. 9, and we book the lodge a year in advance," said Mayfield. "No one dresses like Santa for entertainment but we bring in a girl with a sound system and we have fun with karaoke. We also book her a year in advance."Mayfield said the party doubles as a charity event. Each employee brings a $10 to $15 unwrapped toy, and the toys are donated to the local Toys for Tots program. Mayfield said about 200 Century 21 employees were at the party.

KFVS TV-12 usually has two Christmas parties a year -- one for employees and one for the kids of employees. The kids had their party at the station Dec. 2 and employees, retired employees and their guests celebrated Dec. 9 at Cape Girardeau Country Club.

Paul Keener, director of marketing, said the children's party has been a tradition for quite a while. He said there are games, gifts, face painting, and sometimes news anchor Mike Shain plays Santa Claus.

"We've held our employee parties at various places over the years," said Keener. "We've been at the University Center ballroom and at the old Holiday Inn Convention Center. And the country club always decorates in holiday themes."

Keener said the station has about 100 employees and the turnout is always high. "We had a good time ... a nice meal, music and door prizes."

At Saint Francis Medical Center, a large number of employees attended the annual Christmas party held at the Arena Building on Dec. 2. Port Cape provided the catering.

Travis Akin, a public relations spokesman at Saint Francis, said the main floor of the building was full of tables as was the upper tier. He said that last year a video set to music was shown of various employees at work, and it was so well received that another music-enhanced video was shown this year.

An in-house dinner for employees was held the week before Christmas at Schnucks Supermarket, according to a personnel manager. She said company parties previously were held the Sunday after Thanksgiving but some employees found that inconvenient.

"The store furnishes the meat and employees bring in a favorite dish. There's no special entertainment or gift exchanges, just a nice meal during break-time so employees don't have to make a special trip in," she said.