2024 Winter Celebration

Snowy hill with trees and two cottages with smoke coming out of the chimneys; illustration

Wednesday, December 11

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Smathers Room 100

Here’s a brief overview:


2024 Winter Celebration Wrap-up

2024-Winter-Celebration-Wrap-Up


Catered Lunch

Zen Creatives

Publix


Coloring Pages

Final-Coloring-Book


Centerpiece Contest

Pull on your creative hats, get some colleagues, and get ready to enter the Centerpiece Contest. Centerpieces will be displayed at the Winter Celebration on Dec. 11th. Details to follow

THEME: Winter Wonderland

CATEGORIES: People’s Choice, Best Use of Color, Most Creative


Photo Match Contest

A fun matching contest where your colleagues will try to pair up a current picture of you with a picture of a favorite book (or series).  

If you find it hard to pick just one favorite book, consider the last book you read, or a book you’d recommend to a colleague.


White Elephant Gift Exchange

Bring a wrapped gift, and get ready for fun. Participants take turns selecting gifts, wrapped ones from the table, or one already opened by another participant. Swap and steal your way until everyone has a gift.

The Winter Celebration Planning Committee wants to provide an opportunity for everyone to participate in the White Elephant Gift Exchange. To accommodate this, we plan to hold 2 sessions, one at 11:30 am and one at 1:30 pm.

White Elephant Gift Exchange Rules


Door Prizes

Virtual Door Prize Raffle entry form

Submit virtual raffle tickets by Dec. 6: tinyurl.com/2024-uflib-Door-Prize-Raffle

The Winter Celebration Committee is holding a purely virtual door prize raffle this year to simplify things on the day of our event. 

You have 5 virtual tickets available to you and may submit one ticket for each of your 5 preferred prizes. Once you submit this form, your name will be added to the virtual raffle. 

Winners will be drawn for each prize in order from highest value to lowest (as listed below), Each employee is eligible to win one prize.

  1. Red Roof Inn – One free night’s stay at any location
  2. University Press of Florida – 3 books: The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook, Florida Spectacular, Mary Ann Carroll: First Lady of the Highwaymen ($94 value)
  3. Kanapaha Botanical Gardens – Annual Membership for 2 named adults valued at $75
  4. Publix – $50 gift card
  5. Winn Dixie – $50 printed e-gift card
  6. Okito America (Family martial arts/fitness center) – Archer Road – $50 Gift card
  7. Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille/Visors Rooftop – $50 Gift card
  8. First Magnitude – Merch Pack ($25 gift card, 32 oz growler, 2-pint glasses, etc.) ($45 value)
  9. Raising Cane’s – Gift pack (Cane’s swag & gift cards, incl. a free box combo (~$40+ value))
  10. Santa Fe Teaching Zoo – Family 4-pack of tickets (2 adults and 2 kids) valued at $36
  11. Texas Roadhouse – Gift box (free entree up to $20, peanuts, sirloin and rib seasoning)
  12. Alumni Hall – $25 Gift card
  13. Blackadder Brewing Company – $25 Gift card
  14. Blue Highway Pizza – $25 Gift card
  15. The Cheesecake Factory – $25 Gift card
  16. Just Salad – $25 app gift certificate
  17. Mi Apá – $20 Gift card
  18. Krispy Kreme – Gift certificate for free dozen glazed donuts
  19. Gator BTW (Burgers + Tacos + Wings) – $10 Gift card
  20. Gator’s Dockside – $10 Gift card

This year’s sponsors:

Mi Apa Latin Cafe; Gator BTW - Burgers-Tacos-Wings; Red Roof Inn; WaWa; Winn-Dixie; Spurrier's Gridiron Grille; Just Salad; Blue Highway; Krispy Kreme Doughnuts; Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers; Texas Roadhouse; The Cheesecake Factory; First-Magnitude Brewing Co.; Okito America - Integrity, Strength, Honor; Publix; Blackadder Brewing Company, Gainesville Florida; Alumni Hall; Gator's Dockside Florida; Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo; Kanapaha Botanical Gardens; University Press of Florida

Field and Fork Food Drive and Fundraiser

We are also continuing our yearly branch food donations to the Alan and Cathy Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry. The donation drive will last through Wednesday Dec. 11 and will be collecting nonperishable items for the UF community. More details to follow


Unwrapping Relay

Two teams compete to be the first to open a series of smaller, and more elaborately wrapped boxes to find the clue inside, a hint to finding goal that’s hidden somewhere in room 100.

Unwrapping Relay Rules