Gators Say "Thank You" at Annual Scholarship Endowment Dinner

For Gator Boosters Executive Director Phil Pharr, it’s one of the best nights of the year.

“You get an opportunity to see what you’re putting your money into, ” Pharr told the hundred-plus donors at the Fifth Annual Scholarship Endowment Dinner. “It’s amazing the talent we have coming through here; and I’m not just talking about athletic talent. These men and women, I’m telling you, are going to be great.”

Many of those attendance had already achieved greatness in the collegiate athletic arena. This night, though, wasn’t about competition, but rather gratitude. Representatives from 17 of the 21 University of Florida sports (the teams not traveling to competition) were on hand and scattered about the packed Gator Room, two athletes to each table, to meet, greet and show appreciation for the people who helped make their UF experience possible.

“Coming in, you know your scholarship is coming from somewhere,” senior volleyball superstar Rhamat Alhassan said. “But having the opportunity to sit down and talk to them, hear their questions, ask them questions, and get to know them on a personal level just makes you feel that what you’re doing here is even more important. It matters to them.”

The night began with opening remarks from Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, followed by a turn from Jeff Guin, senior senior associate AD at Hawkins Center/Farrior Hall, as well former head football coach and ambassador Steve Spurrier. Guin, who heads the University Athletic Association’s academic arm, referenced some numbers on the event’s program. Among them:

• 83 percent — UF’s graduation rate for student athletes in 2017.
• 254 — Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll selections in 2016-17.
• 3.10 — Cumulative grade-point average of UF student athletes for the 2017 fall semester.

“Please hold your applause to the end, we’re now done,” said Guin, who went on to say Gator athletes also had combined for 3,876 hours of community service work the previous year.

The podium was then turned over to a trio of student athletes — Alhassan, along with two basketball standouts, senior Chris Chiozza and graduate transfer Egor Koulechov — who spoke to their unique Gator experiences that are mere weeks away from coming to an end.

After they were done, the three shared master of ceremony duties by tossing out a series of talking points — What was your greatest moment as a Gator? What is your pre-game routine? What is your favorite place on campus? — as the student athletes bounced from one table to the next and shared their answers with different groups of donors, speed-dating style.

Another one of the topics: What team superlative would you win? 

That’s when Chiozza leaned into the mic and had some fun with a teammate in the audience.

“What team superlative would you win?” he asked. ” ‘Most likely to be caught looking in the mirror’ … Jalen Hudson.”

It was that kind of night.

“I love the experience of meeting the students,” said Rosemary Oberndorf, who along with husband Lou funded the first full softball scholarship four years ago. “We’ve watched them in their sport, but really haven’t had much personal contact with them. But in this short amount of time, just having dinner with them, and the different students coming to the tables, it’s so enjoyable talking to them. They’re so accomplished, so young, so fun.”

Said Jon Pritchett, incoming Gator Boosters president: “Hearing about their commitment to the program, the team and their teammates is something we really enjoy, but here we also get to find about their lives. Where they come from, but also where they’re going.”

On the way to wherever that may be, the student-athletes got to say “thank you for making it all happen.”

“It’s a chance for these generous donors to see the personalities of these athletes first hand,” Stricklin said. “They may not be in uniform [in here], but after spending some time with them they’ll understand how remarkable these young people are that represent the Orange and Blue.”