To show how important Gator families are to the UF community, the Division of Student Affairs is hosting the first all-campus Family Weekend Feb. 22 through Feb. 24.
Family Weekend is a tradition at UF that is geared toward first-year students.
But because not all first-year students are able to participate during their first Fall semester, Assistant Dean and Director of New Student and Family Programs Jaime Gresley said Spring would be a great time to open up the campus.
“We really value all our family members and want to make sure they have a chance to come back and have a designated weekend full of activities so that they can reconnect [with their kids], regardless if their child is a first-year student or not,” Gresley said.
Family Weekend registration ends Feb. 18, and everyone who comes will receive a free Family Weekend beanie.
About 400 student have already registered, and Gresley expects about 1,000 students in total.
Family Fest, the signature event, will be held Feb. 23 on the UVS Field and will include a large carnival with a 160-ft. zip line. The Campus Diplomats will be facilitating many of the events and booths, said Campus Diplomat Executive Director Deanna Thornton, 21.
“[Spring Family Weekend] will be a lot larger [than the one in Fall],” the management junior said. “Come with an attitude to experience a lot of different things. There are really cool events, like the zip line, that you never get to do.”
This is also a weekend full of sports, something families don’t get to experience in the Fall.
Families can see men’s basketball, women’s tennis, lacrosse, gymnastics and baseball games.
Under the theme “Always Orange, Forever Blue,” Gresley said the Division of Student Affairs is trying to get the message across that UF students are Gators “true and true.”
In doing so, the event is also opened to graduate students.
“Being a Gator is a special experience, and there’s a lot of pride that typically goes along with that,” Gresley said. “We want to give them the chance to share that with their family members who play a big supporting role.”
