By: Kyle Niblett
The University of Florida held its fifth annual Gator Nation Giving Day on Feb. 16 and the College of Design, Construction and Planning finished second among all 16 UF colleges by raising $1,396,711.52. For the fourth-consecutive year, DCP finished first or second in either total gifts or dollar raised.
“The consistency our alumni have shown in out-performing much larger colleges on this campus show how truly invested DCP graduates are,” DCP Senior Director of Advancement Seth Watts said. “It is with their help and with Dean Anumba’s vision that we are shaping the world we live in for the better.”
With the new Bruno E. and Maritza F. Collaboratory coming in time for the College’s centennial celebration, the theme for DCP this year was “Designing, Constructing and Planning a Better Future.”
Led by 1998 M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management graduate Dhvanit Patel, Onicx Group, LLC. made the largest of the college’s 585 gifts during the event. The company, which is a Tampa-based private real estate firm primarily focusing on healthcare real estate, multifamily and mixed-used projects, was named last spring as the top-ranked company in the UF Gator100.
According to the Giving Day website, Gator Nation Giving Day is a 24-hour fundraising event, started in 2019, that calls on all UF alumni, students, faculty, staff, families and friends to come together to support the university and all of its areas of positive impact in our state, nation and world.
| YEAR | GIFTS | DOLLAR AMOUNT |
| 2019 | 155 | $244,803.77 |
| 2020 | 300 | $10,900,000.00* |
| 2021 | 1,233* | $1,042,396.40 |
| 2022 | 1,555^ | $101,790.35 |
| 2023 | 585 | $1,396,711.52^ |
* First among all colleges at UF
^ Second among all colleges at UF