VIDALIA, La. – Fruit of the Loom employees braved the heat Sunday to attend a picnic celebrating the five-year anniversary of the distribution plant.

Officials estimated about 85 percent of the plant’s 475 employees attended the picnic at the plant grounds in Vidalia.

The plant closed at 11 a.m. Sunday, so weekend employees could attend.

&uot;It’s been an amazing turnout,&uot; said J.R. Jones, quality assurance manager. &uot;We’re just tickled to death with the turnout.&uot;

The plant anniversary was actually June 5, but officials decided to wait and hold the celebration after workers finished inventory and got through a period of heavy-work load.

Employees enjoyed food, music, won door prizes and took turns dunking plant supervisors in a dunking booth.

Those taking a turn in the dunking booth included plant manager Jody Doucet.

&uot;(I’m) having a good time (and) given everybody a chance to take a shot at me,&uot; Doucet said. &uot;(We have a) lot of good people and I enjoy socializing with them.&uot;

The plant also awarded certificates to 21 employees who had worked at the plant for the entire five-years.

Louis Banks, a warehouse team leader, was one of those people.

&uot;We’ve been through the ups and downs,&uot; he said. &uot;I think we’re going on the ups.&uot;

Lenise Jones is another five-year employee.

&uot;It feels good,&uot; Jones said, about working at the plant for its entire history. &uot;I enjoy the job. I enjoy the people I work with.&uot;

Catrina Smith, who has worked at the plant for four years, shared similar thoughts.

&uot;As far as the plant goes, I think we have a good future here, if everybody just continues to work and work together,&uot; she said.