Nominations for Healthy Gators Recognition Awards sought

January 23, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Healthy Gators Coalition encourages individuals to nominate University of Florida faculty, staff and students for its second annual Recognition Awards.

The award recognizes individuals who have made a significant healthy lifestyle change or who have contributed to the Healthy Gators mission. The coalition seeks to honor individuals whose impact extends beyond physical wellness to areas such as environmental, emotional, spiritual or social wellness. The coalition encourages nominations from all departments and groups across UF.

“We hope to get not only more nominations but a wider variety with more faculty and student nominations,” said Jane Emmerée, chairwoman of Healthy Gators Programming Work Group. “I look forward to hearing interesting, one-of-a-kind stories about how people created healthy balance in their lives or the lives of others.”

Nomination opens Jan. 23 and ends Feb. 11. Recipients will be announced April 9.

The criteria for the Healthy Gators’ Award are based on four components including: the uniqueness of the accomplishment, the level of effort needed to achieve accomplishment, a commitment to sustain the accomplishment and significance or personal change or impact on others, the UF community or the UF campus.

In its inaugural year, 19 nominations were received and 14 recipients were selected for the award. This year’s panel is looking for even more unique experiences and efforts leading to change.

While any individual can nominate any UF faculty, staff or student, no self-nominations are accepted. Nominators will need to explain when the accomplishment occurred and why this nominee should be recognized for the award.

The Recognition Awards were established in 2010 to recognize individuals who have made a healthy lifestyle change or contributed as a leader or facilitator of health. The honor takes place once a year in the spring.

Visit Healthy Gators at http://healthygators.ufsa.ufl.edu or call 352-273-4450 for more information and to nominate an individual.

Healthy Gators is a coalition of students, faculty and staff from more than 25 UF departments and organizations working together to promote a campus environment supportive of the development and maintenance of a healthy body, mind and spirit for all members of the UF community. UF First Lady Chris Machen is the chairwoman of Healthy Gators.