Alpha Tau Omega - University of Florida

p. 2 the Alpha Omegan A lpha Omega had a very busy spring semester filled with several brotherhood, philanthropic, and social events. We now have 220 active Brothers, and the Chapter is doing an incredible job of continuing the great tradition of being the biggest and best fraternity at the University of Florida. Our members remain focused on campus involvement and are involved in organizations such as Student Government, Gator Growl, Thrive IFC, and Florida Blue Key. TAUTUGA In February, we hosted our second annual philanthropy event, Tautuga, at the house. Tautuga supports the Brooke Strong Foundation, an organization aimed to save and improve lives through organ donations. The Ben Carter Band played enjoyable music at the event, and we also had a dunk tank. Thank you to those of you who donated to this great cause; your support, along with the support of many others, allowed us to raise $9,000 for the foundation. DAD'S WEEKEND We had a great turnout for Dad's Weekend on March 26, with almost 110 dads joining us for a packed itinerary. On Friday night, we spent time at Midtown and played pool while watching March Madness. On Saturday, we hung out at the house, took a picture out front, and went to watch the Gators baseball team play LSU. VIKING WEEK Leading up to our annual Viking party, we held several brotherhood events to bring the Chapter together. Our Chaplain, Dow Walker '19, did a great job coordinating our annual hot wing eating competition as well as our wrestling event in the front yard. Nick Hernandez '20 and Luke Robinson '20 also did an excellent job planning the party in late February. NEW EXECUTIVE BOARD This past November, we elected our new executive board, and through the spring semester, they have been keeping our Chapter in good standing with the university. Our major goal for the semester was to strengthen our alumni connection, and thanks to our Junior Executive at Large, JT Story '20, we were able to do so. WELCOMING BROTHERS We initiated the spring 2022 class in March, and Reed Blevins '19 excelled at molding these young men into incredible Brothers of our fraternity. I am excited to see the great things they accomplish through the Chapter and the university. LOOKING AHEAD At the end of the semester, our Chapter had a great time at formal in Charleston on April 8 and the Orange and Blue Game on April 14. Throughout the summer, our Recruitment Chairman Cole Gabbai '20 will host several events for incoming students. Love and Respect, Grant Thrower '19 (727) 674-3183 gthrower15@gmail.com Continuing the Tradition Alpha Omega Remains in Good Standing at UF (Continued from page 1) P A Y I N G I T F O R W A R D "Today we have been married nearly 57 years and have three great children and 10 wonderful grandkids," Allen said. "I'm not sure there could have been any greater impact on my life than meeting Delores through our joint association with ΑΤΩ." The school also holds importance to Allen, and he has given back to the University of Florida through his position as a board of trustee at Lastinger Family Foundation. In 1996, he was asked to co-chair the University of Florida's It's Performance that Counts capital campaign. "Delores and I chose to endow the Lastinger Center for Learning in the College of Education," he said. "The mission of the Center is to generate innovations to improve educational outcomes, especially for the underprivileged. While Delores and I provided the startup capital and a desire to improve the educational experience, the Lastinger Center team, over the last 20-plus years, has made the vision a reality." Giving back to organizations that have made a difference in his life is important to Allen. "We have a family mantra that goes, 'Leave things better off than when you arrived,' and we have tried to follow that goal all our lives," he said. "When we see a pressing need, we try to address that need with either money, participation, or both." Allen and Delores enjoy joining several Brothers and their wives for the annual Florida vs. Georgia game. Another group reconvenes for lunch several times a year and on a less-organized basis, but Allen enjoys catching up with Brothers he has not seen in a while. He also enjoys collecting books, maps, paintings, postcards, and other memorabilia related to Florida, but his favorite hobby is spending time with his kids and grandkids. You can connect with Allen at allenlastinger@icloud.com.

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