Pledge 5 Knows How to Party!

Spring break is not over yet, at least not here at Pledge 5 Foundation!  We’re going to be participating in a pool party hosted by The Enclave apartments.  The pool party will be this Saturday, March 19 from noon to 5 p.m.

The Enclave is excited to welcome students back from spring break and  show off their upgraded poolside lounge furniture, so they’re collaborating with several local businesses to throw this amazing party!  The Vault NightClub will provide drinks and entertainment, while Domino’s Pizza, Mother’s Pub and other restaurants will provide food for the pool party.

For general entry, you can donate one canned food item.  General admission gets you into the pool party, but VIP entry, which requires a donation of two canned food items, gets you free food and drinks!

All canned food items will benefit Bread of the Mighty Food Bank!

For more information, visit The Enclave Pool Party Facebook event.  Don’t forget to stay up to date with Pledge 5 through our Facebook and Twitter pages.

5K-9 and Pet Supply/Adoption Drive

The Kanapaha 5K-9 was definitely a big success! The event was held on Saturday, and it was our second major event of the semester.  Because of its success, we’re looking forward to doing another 5K in the near future!

Last Wednesday, Feb. 23, we had a Pet Adoption Party at College Park, where we had about 30 people who stop by.  We provided pizza, and Gainesville Pet Rescue brought two puppies from the same litter.  We’re happy to announce that both of the featured pets were adopted that day as a result of the party, and they got to stay together!  Also, because of the party and the 5K-9, several more pets have been adopted from Gainesville Pet Rescue!

One of the mini-events included in the Kanapaha 5K-9 was the silent auction, which earned $220 towards the Gainesville Pet Rescue.

Pledge 5 would like to thank everyone who made this event such a success!  So thank you to all of the 119 people who ran at the 5K-9, as well as Gainesville Pet Rescue, all of our sponsors and everyone else who contributed to the 5K-9!

Don’t forget, though, the Pledge 5 Pet Supply and Adoption Drive is continuing until Saturday, March 5.  We’re in need of canned pet food, pet toys and laundry detergent, among other pet supplies.  So go to ApartmentsInGainesville.com for a list of pet-friendly communities or either of Gainesville’s Planet Beach locations to donate your pet supplies and receive a gift certificate in return for dog biscuits from Earth Pets Natural Pet Market or for a half-off discount on a home visit from Daytime Dogs.  You can make a difference in an animal’s life today by donating!

Breaking Records at Pledge 5!

Pledge 5 Foundation has broken a new Gainesville record through ticket sales on Groupon.com for Gator Stompin’!  We’ve sold 1,004 tickets in four days, an amazing accomplishment for Pledge 5!

Gator Stompin’ has been a tradition for Gainesville residents and UF students for over 25 years now, and Pledge 5 is proud to be a part of the Gator Nation’s biggest annual celebration!

We’ve had such great success with our Groupon sales, and our Gator Stompin’ event is still a few months away.  We’re hoping to maybe even break another record by having the largest bar and restaurant crawl in the world!  The current record, according to the Guinness World Records website, is held by a pub crawl made up of 4,718 people in Queensland, Australia.

For those that don’t know, Gator Stompin’ was founded in 1983, and it takes place throughout midtown and downtown Gainesville, along University Avenue.

Over 50 clubs, restaurants, and bars are participating in Gator Stompin’ this year.  All of these places offer free entrance to participants wearing an event T-shirt.  Each participant is given 10 tokens to use for food and drinks throughout the night.

For more information on our most famous event, visit our Gator Stompin’ Facebook page!  Pay attention to our Facebook and Twitter for constant updates and upcoming contests!

Mark Your Calendars!

We’ve been so busy here at the Pledge 5 office!  We’re working on several different events, including “The Pledge 5 Apprentice,” Kanapaha 5K-9, and Gator Stompin’!

 Pledge 5 Foundation will have an open call for “The Pledge 5 Apprentice” on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 7:20 p.m. at the University of Florida’s Rinker Hall, Room 101.  “The Pledge 5 Apprentice” will follow the format of NBC’s “The Apprentice.” Each week, participants will be given a project to complete correlating with Pledge 5 Foundation’s charity drives and events.  Contestants will face weekly elimination based on their performance.  The last person standing will become the next executive director of Pledge 5 and will win a $40,000 compensation package that includes $30,500 cash, housing and restaurant allowance, among other things. All majors are invited and encouraged to attend.

We’re teaming up with the Gainesville Pet Rescue for the Kanapaha 5K-9.  This event is a 5K race and one mile run/walk that you can do with your best friend!  Running with a dog in the 5K is only recommended for those who have trained extensively with their dog; however, everyone is encouraged to take their companion on the one- mile route. All routes are non-paved, so they’re pet-friendly!

One of our most popular events is Gator Stompin’, which has been a rite of passage in Gainesville since 1983!  At the end of every spring, students and locals get together to celebrate being part of the Gator Nation.  The Official Gator Stompin’ T-shirt grants access to over 50 of Gainesville’s best bars, nightclubs and restaurants, where you are treated to amazing drinks, delicious food and live music!  Don’t miss what the Independent Florida Alligator ranked as one of the top 10 things to do before leaving Gainesville. GO GATORS!

Anyway, we’re currently offering a 51 percent discount on Gator Stompin’ tickets through Groupon.com, so head over there for this exclusive deal, which ends on Saturday at midnight!  Tickets are usually $35, but through Groupon you can get your ticket for only $17!

These are definitely opportunities you don’t want to miss out on!  Visit our Twitter and Facebook pages for more details on upcoming charity drives and events!

Luck Helps When You're "Taking It Off"

As you clean out your closet to gather some clothing donations for the "Taking It Off For Charity" Poker Tournament, it couldn't hurt to dig out those lucky socks or that lucky pair of underwear to wear tonight.

At its core, poker is a game of logic and skill. Players make rational, well-informed decisions based on the rules of probability. But even the most talented poker players recognize that there's more to the game than just numbers.

Phil Hellmuth Jr., an 11 time World Series of Poker winner made even more famous by his attitude at the table, said, "I guess if there weren't luck involved, I'd win every time."

Maybe he was just bitter about a losing streak, or maybe he was on to something...

We're trying to give you all the help that we can, so before you get ready to take it off, consider these poker superstitions that might make or break your game:

Don't start the game off on the wrong foot by picking up your cards before the dealer is finished dealing to all of the active players. It makes sense - if the other players don't yet have cards to look at, they'll be looking at you and judging your reaction.

Unfortunately for you lefties out there, doing things with the left hand always seems to be wrong for some reason or another. In poker, some people believe it's bad luck to pick up your cards with your left hand. It may seem silly, but do you really want to risk it?

It's considered a bad sign if you accidentally drop a card while playing. Other than people possibly getting a glimpse of your goods, it shows a lack of concentration and losing concentration in poker doesn't usually lead to a win.

For good luck, touch your favorite card before playing starts.  Bring your lucky charms, too, because you'll be playing against the contest winners Kimberly Wootton, Nicole Vassilatos, Chastity Marylee, Monica Lopez and Natalia Rodriguez, who won free VIP passes (so we already know that they're pretty lucky)!

You'll be helping the wonderful people at St. Francis House, so you really shouldn't fret too much if Lady Luck isn't on your side. After all, "unlucky in poker, lucky in love," right? And Valentine's Day is just around the corner...