LOOK: Photos from Florida's service abroad trip to Greece with GatorMade
The GatorMade program has completed its first service abroad mission following a 10-day trip to Greece with 16 student-athletes.
Ten football players and six UF women student-athletes traveled with multiple staff members, led by senior director of player relations and GatorMade Savannah Bailey. She was joined by GatorMade coordinator and football business manager Diane Lebon, associate director of digital strategy Tamsyn Stonebarger and assistant for college personnel and on-campus recruiting Chase Clark.
The athletes who made the trip were receivers Justin Shorter, Daejon Reynolds, Jordan Pouncey and Daniel Cross, linebackers Ventrell Miller, Derek Wingo and Chief Borders, defensive backs Trey Dean III, Donovan McMillon and Devin Moore, UF softball pitcher Elizabeth Hightower, UF women’s basketball guard Zippy Broughton, UF soccer player Kouri Peace, UF track athlete Alissa Braxton, UF volleyball player Carly Hendrickson and UF lacrosse player Liz Harrison.
“I think that was the best thing,” Miller said of having athletes from other sports on the trip. “Just having my teammates there to make me feel at home, in a sense. We built a lot of team bonding, not only with the football players but the women’s sports like volleyball, track, lacrosse.
“Just being able to get to know those girls, it just made it seem like Florida was a family. That’s how I felt up there. It was a family environment. Everybody got to learn more about each other, and I feel like it was a good trip just to bond with my peers.”
The group of Gators volunteered with the non-profit organization “The Smile of the Child” before checking out the historical sites and experiencing the local culture. Bailey educated the athletes on the philosophy of servant leadership and planned a short trip to Santorini to give them a fun break from eight-hour workdays.
Here are photos from the GatorMade service abroad trip to Greece, all courtesy of the UAA.
Florida student-athletes and GatorMade arrive in Athens:
Serving local foster care facilities with “The Smile of the Child”:
Walking through the Acropolis of Athens, a historic site:
Working at one of the several foster care homes throughout Athens:
The GatorMade group also made a visit to Santorini, Greece:
