UAA student-athletes and staff pose for a photo prior to gifting shoes during the Gators Tracks delivery on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 at Chester Shell Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla. / UAA Communications photo by Audrey Djuricich
Gators Tracks Program Celebrates 25 Years of Community Outreach
Friday, December 19, 2025 | General, Otis Hawkins Center
UF student-athletes, coaches and staff provided 403 pairs of new shoes to children throughout Alachua County in 2025.
GAINESVILLE, Fla – The arrival of the holiday season is accompanied by many traditions each year and for the Florida Gators, none are more impactful than the annual Gators Tracks program.
Celebrating 25 years of community outreach, Gators Tracks provides shoes and socks to hundreds of students at seven schools throughout Alachua County every December. Starting in late fall, student-athletes, coaches and staff from the University Athletic Association work together collecting school-age shoes, socks and monetary donations.
"Gators Tracks is a special time for us each and every year," said Pierre Banks, assistant director of community development. "It is always our goal to give love back to the community that supports us so much all year long."
Prior to delivery, UF student-athletes teamed up to hand-wrap every pair of shoes. During finals week, various groups of Gators student-athletes and staff met at the Hawkins Center to deliver the shoes to a number of local schools.
This past holiday season, the Gators Tracks program provided 403 pairs of new sneakers to children in need across Alachua County. A complete video recap of this year's Gators Tracks deliveries can be found here.
The overarching success of Gators Tracks is made possible by the continued support of Florida Blue and Tower Hill Insurance.
About the Gators Tracks Program
In its 25th year of existence, Gators Tracks remains one of the University Athletic Association's biggest donation events during the fall semester. Gators Tracks provides shoes and socks to students at seven schools in Alachua County. The Gators Tracks program serves as a chance to strengthen its partnership with the youth of Gainesville by providing them access to school and play. A video overview of the Gators Tracks program can be watched here.
About the Gators Experience
The Gators Experience houses the career, community, leadership and personal development initiatives for all UF student-athletes. Through programming, experiential learning opportunities and individual goal-mapping, the program aims to help every Gators student-athlete leave the University of Florida as a prepared professional. You can follow @Gators.Exp on Instagram and @GatorsExp on Twitter.
Celebrating 25 years of community outreach, Gators Tracks provides shoes and socks to hundreds of students at seven schools throughout Alachua County every December. Starting in late fall, student-athletes, coaches and staff from the University Athletic Association work together collecting school-age shoes, socks and monetary donations.
"Gators Tracks is a special time for us each and every year," said Pierre Banks, assistant director of community development. "It is always our goal to give love back to the community that supports us so much all year long."
Prior to delivery, UF student-athletes teamed up to hand-wrap every pair of shoes. During finals week, various groups of Gators student-athletes and staff met at the Hawkins Center to deliver the shoes to a number of local schools.
This past holiday season, the Gators Tracks program provided 403 pairs of new sneakers to children in need across Alachua County. A complete video recap of this year's Gators Tracks deliveries can be found here.
The overarching success of Gators Tracks is made possible by the continued support of Florida Blue and Tower Hill Insurance.
About the Gators Tracks Program
In its 25th year of existence, Gators Tracks remains one of the University Athletic Association's biggest donation events during the fall semester. Gators Tracks provides shoes and socks to students at seven schools in Alachua County. The Gators Tracks program serves as a chance to strengthen its partnership with the youth of Gainesville by providing them access to school and play. A video overview of the Gators Tracks program can be watched here.
About the Gators Experience
The Gators Experience houses the career, community, leadership and personal development initiatives for all UF student-athletes. Through programming, experiential learning opportunities and individual goal-mapping, the program aims to help every Gators student-athlete leave the University of Florida as a prepared professional. You can follow @Gators.Exp on Instagram and @GatorsExp on Twitter.
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