Douglas Tam plans to hang his navy-blue-and-yellow Grand Trunk hammock Friday, just like he always does when he wants to relax.
This Friday, however, about 2,000 other UF students are expected to hang out with him at the first “End of Year Hammock Party” from noon to 5 p.m. at Westside Park.
Tam, a 20-year-old UF biology junior, said he thought about creating the event over Spring Break. He was hooked on hammocking after going on a Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park camping trip with friends a year and a half ago.
He said the party was planned for the second reading day because most people would still be in town, but they wouldn’t be overloaded with exams yet.
Students are welcome to bring their own speakers, but there won’t be a DJ or musical performance.
“We wanted to keep it simple,” he said.
It was originally planned for the front of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, but he moved it as the event grew larger.
“I expected maybe 80 to 100 people to bring hammocks and show up, but by the third day we had over 300 people RSVP,” he said.
Alexandra Pritchett, a UF business junior, said she joined the event on Facebook as soon as she saw it. She said she thought it would be a fun way to take a break from studying and chill out before finals week.
“And there’s no pressure to dress up or put makeup on,” Pritchett, 21, said. “You can just relax and be with your friends.”
The event now has multiple sponsors, including Brasington’s Adventure Outfitters, which donated money toward event T-shirts.
All proceeds from the T-shirts will go toward funding the official Hammock Club, which Tam said he plans to start in the Fall.
