Alpha Tau Omega - University of Florida

University of Florida p. 3 www.ufato.org fAll And Spring philAnthrOpiC eventS rAiSe mOre thAn $52,000 Brothers Dedicate Efforts to Build-a-Better-Holiday, Red, White, and Pull Seventh Annual Build-a-Better-Holiday Our fall philanthropic event, Build-a-Better- Holiday, has been one of the most successful philanthropies held at the University of Florida for the past six years. Under the guidance of former Worthy Usher Vince Federico '13, this would continue to be the case. Planning for the event began in summer 2015, in which a philanthropy committee was appointed. With the previous year's total of $38,000 being a difficult act to follow, it was necessary for preparations to be made early. We realized that gaining donations and sponsorships would be the most obvious way to discern the success of the event. Utilizing the extent of our Alpha Omega alumni would prove to be very useful. After contacting various Alpha Omega alumni who owned small businesses and were willing to make donations as corporate sponsors, the philanthropy team embarked on gaining support from around the Gainesville community. These efforts proved to be fruitful and allowed for the following donations and support: Following the hours of e-mails and phone calls to potential sponsors, the focus went to the families of the active Alpha Omega Brothers to help raise funds for the Toys for Tots foundation. We utilized the donation link on our website, gatorsbuildbears.com, along with custom letters sent to the addresses of our actives' parents to spread awareness of the event and request any sort of monetary or item donations. The personal contact made with families proved to be very beneficial to our cause. The event took place December 6, 2015, at the Tau Mansion. In all, Build-a-Better-Holiday would not have been possible without the many hours that Brothers donated in planning and execution of the event. With every Brother giving at least 10 hours of their time reaching out to potential donors, inviting other students to the event, and helping out in various other ways, this is an event that truly brings us closer together as a brotherhood while supporting our local community. Overall, we raised over $36,000 for Toys for Tots and donated nearly 1,000 bears and accessories. Third Annual Red, White, and Pull With the success of our spring philanthropy, Red, White, and Pull, we decided as a brotherhood to hold both spring and fall philanthropies. The trap shooting competition raised $16,000 and benefitted the Collegiate Veterans Society and Wounded Warrior Project. The implementation of this event was undertaken by Worthy Usher Camden Anderson '14. Planning and fundraising for the event began in December and we were able to gain sponsorships and donations from corporations such as PDQ, 2 College Brothers, and Narrow Road Realty. The event took place on February 7 at Gator Skeet and Trap. With more sororities participating in the trap shooting competition than last year and the support of our active brotherhood, we were proud to announce Kappa Delta and Delta Delta Delta as our 2016 overall winners. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for this event. During the seventh annual Build-a-Better-Holiday, $36,000 was raised with 165 Brothers participating. For the third annual Red, White, and Pull, $16,000 was raised with 160 Brothers participating. Brandon Krumins '12 and Brandon Spierto '12 are two of the Chapter's most recent Brothers to represent Alpha Omega in the prestigious Florida Blue Key. Three Undergraduates Inducted into Florida Blue Key Founder's Day, Chapter Formal Events a Success CHAPTER ADDS PRESENCE IN FLORIDA BLUE KEY Brothers Brandon Spierto '12, Brandon Krumins '12, and Michael Mancini '12 have been inducted into Florida Blue Key, the oldest and most prestigious leadership honorary in the state of Florida since 1923. Congratulations to these three! CHAPTER FORMAL In early April, the Chapter traveled to Atlanta for the annual ATW spring formal. Brothers and their dates departed from Gainesville on Friday around noon and arrived in Atlanta by early evening to explore the unique restaurants and bars of Atlanta. On Saturday, the group visited the Georgia Aquarium, CNN studios, the World of Coca-Cola, and a few of the various parks in Atlanta. The weekend culminated in a formal dinner on Saturday evening at The Ivy, a restaurant located in the heart of Buckhead. Tommy Moffit '12 led the planning and coordination of a memorable weekend. (Continued on page 4)

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