ESTERO, Fla. — Florida Gulf Coast University is celebrating 25 years of excellence this week through ‘FGCU Day.’
All week long— the campus marked the occasion with dozens of family friendly activities. On Saturday, families, friends, and alumni all gathered on the campus for a day of celebration.
"It’s just a day of both celebration of 25 years and teeing people up for the next 25.”
Hoops… cornhole… even a bouncy castle. All three were just some of the ways FGCU was celebrating.
“We really want this community to know that this is their place and they should find ways to utilize it whenever it seems right," said Mike Martin, President of FGCU. "But also knowing that this is a place where they can come and be part of a very vibrant university community because they own it.”
For some, that involved getting their hands dirty in a pancake cook-off.
“I’m in a pancake cooking contest and if anybody knows me, I’m trying to win this thing," said Dave Tollett, Head Baseball Coach with FGCU. "I mean there’s no doubt about it- I’m trying to win it.”
Tollett even went all out— chef’s hat included.
"There’s been some trash talk this week. That’s okay- I’m used to it. I’m in athletics and there’s social media when we go to play some people but I’m okay with it. It just fires me up.”
And Kitty Green, the Vice President of Advancement at FGCU.
“There’s a lot of love and blueberries too!” said Green, speaking about her mom's pancake recipe.
And on the other side of campus more activities were taking place. Like Matthew M etcalf and his slithering friend King, the eastern indigo snake.
“With snakes in general, you usually get two reactions," said Metcalf. "Either screaming and running away or people screaming and running towards it to see them.”
Metcalf is a visiting instructor at the university. Both he and King were surely a crowd favorite.
"Maybe not the most well-loved groups of animals but they still deserve to be here," he says, talking about King. "They’re important animals that we need on our landscape and in the ecosystem. It’s nice to bring attention to species such as eastern indigo snakes and other really cool snakes and stuff that are out there.”
But no matter the reason- pancakes or snakes- everyone who came out can agree they had a great time.
"One of the great things about FGCU is that everybody’s excited to be a part of FGCU, whether they’re staff or faculty or students," said Green. "This is a great time for all of us to just to get together and celebrate what we’ve all built together.”
And because Coach Tollett won the pancake cook-off, only time will tell if he’ll give up that recipe....
"This recipe will be for sale," said Tollett. "It’ll be part of a donation from FGCU Baseball after I win this thing. Wings up- go Eagles!”
