Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

University of florida, sigma Phi ePsilon information flalPha.org SigEp Gator Heart for alUmni and friends of the florida alPha ChaPter no. 49 • sPring 2025 A Recap of Our Centennial Celebration Weekend O n March 28-30, we came together in Gainesville to celebrate 100 years of Florida Alpha—and let me tell you, it was quite a celebration! The weekend saw close to 200 alumni and friends of Florida Alpha return to Gainesville, joined by our close-to-200 undergraduate brothers. Everyone shared the greatness of Florida Alpha through 11 special events, earmarked by two Gator basketball victories. WELCOME EVENTS On Friday, the actual day of our founding, our Chapter House served as the venue for welcome events. From the lunch, open house, and house tours to the Tribute to the Brothers in the Heart and the unveiling of the Little Sisters of the Golden Heart plaque to our official kickoff, it was a busy day at 5 Fraternity Row! FLORIDA ALPHA CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT Returning for the third time, this time at UF's Mark Bostick Golf Course, it was a great outing! The following awards were presented for tournament results at our Centennial Gala that night: • 1st: Andrew Greer '92, Mark Freeman '96, Dan Glod '95, Lawrence Sakre '95 • 2nd: Ryan Feocco '25, Sam Grant '26, Danny Kelley '25, Eddy Lao '24 • 3rd: Todd Bonlarron '93, Steve Corson '90, Jason Hill '94, Dave Kratzer '70 • 4th: Joshua Jackson '24, Justin Jackson '26, Connor Glass '23, Gabe Federighi '26 • Most Honest: Ed Lassiter '76, Michael Plum '75, James Grindle '74, Tim Toth '77 • Longest Drive: Dan Glod '95 • Closest to the Pin: Sam Grant '26 • Longest Putt: Jack Pagan '26 Special thanks to everyone who joined us, and be on the lookout for the details of the fourth annual Florida Alpha Classic, coming spring 2026! CENTENNIAL GALA Our weekend culminated at our gala, where we celebrated 100 years of excellence and recognized individual brothers for their accomplishments and contributions—such as Mike Watford '75, who was presented with a resolution from SigEp HQ recognizing him for his impact at Florida Alpha. Whether you were there or couldn't make it in person with us for this historic event, check out pages 4-5 for a recap and selection of great photos, then visit flapha.org/100 or scan the QR code to the right to see all the photos and videos from the weekend. Our Centennial Celebration was an electric gathering and a great culmination to a year and a half of planning from the Centennial Planning Committee. I want to thank the committee— Brady Alexander '22, Brett Ogilvie '85, Bert Harris '76, Luis Enrique Fernández Torres '19, Bryson Ridgway '05, Todd Bonalrron '93, Manny del Valle '87, Bill Bell '77, Jeff Wilson '76, and Santiago Alvarez '25—as well as the AVC, FAEF, undergraduate brothers, and SigEp Little Sisters for making such a memorable weekend happen. I walked away feeling prouder than ever to be a Florida Alpha! The Centennial Planning Committee took on the hard work of orchestrating an incredible event, which allowed the AVC to continue focusing on managing the day-to-day of the chapter house and setting priorities for facility repairs and improvements. The high priority tasks we are taking on this summer are installing a commercial-grade kitchen counter with a sink in the dining room (approximately $5,000) and creating an outdoor, fire-safe battery charging station (approximately $10,000-$15,000.) The charging station is intended for scooter batteries, not vehicles, and will be placed outside to ensure the batteries are not being charged indoors. These two projects impact how the members live and thrive in the Chapter house. Please consider supporting these projects by visiting flalpha.org/donate. Fraternally, Manny Vargas '07 AVC President manny.f.vargas@gmail.com e Celebration of the Century!

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