Mystery solved for sandbar party

The magic words that seal your RSVP to attend a company holiday party are usually "open bar." For these men who were spotted hosting a holiday company party on Big Pass interpreted that to mean sandbar. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit spotted them sitting with laptops open and toes in the sand Wednesday, Dec. 9. 

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office posted a photo to its Facebook page of the bunch hanging out on the Big Pass sandbar. The post described the photo as a company party. 

After further investigation by the Observer, it turns out to not be a party at all. The IT department at Direct Energy Services was actually filming a holiday greeting to be added to the company-wide video contest. The idea was the brainchild of Server and Infrastructure Manager Trevor Wethington. 

"A lot of us fish and go out and I have a boat," Wethington said. "We were going to do something in the water but we wanted something more than just a beach."

Yesterday during the group's lunch break they each took turns riding out on a boat to help set up the scene with the Gulf of Mexico as the backdrop. They recreated an office with laptops and a phone set up. 

They even managed to include a Christmas tree and menorah to add to the festiveness of the occasion.

"Everyone around here is pretty creative," Wethington said. "Most of us are outdoor people anyway so it worked."