12th Annual International Gator Day is this Saturday

Author: Unknown Publication Date: Friday May 20, 2011

It was 1998 when then-UF Alumni Association President Scott Hawkins (BA ’80, JD ’83) proposed a new vision for community service.

At the time, many Gator Clubs® already took on service projects in their communities. Hawkins and the board of directors, however, wanted to spread that community spirit on a national scale. National Gator Day was born.

“We saw National Gator Day as a way of bringing positive reflection on the university by doing something tangible,” Hawkins said after more than 500 Gators from 33 clubs participated in the first National Gator Day in 1999. “If you stop and think about how members of a club can do something to help someone, and then think of all the clubs and all the club members who participated, it is quite profound.”

In the 12 years since, the event — held each year on the third Saturday in May — has grown to include an array of community projects, including beach clean-ups, Habitat for Humanity builds, local food drives and activity days for underprivileged children, nursing home-bound seniors and even wounded war veterans. The event became International Gator Day in 2003 when alumni in Japan joined in to help promote a local museum in Kagawa and pick up garbage along a beach in Manazuru.

This year’s International Gator Day takes place this Saturday, May 21. It’s not too late to get involved — simply follow the links below to find out what your local club is doing.

Learn more about International Gator Day 2011
Find your local Gator Club®