INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Legendary Gator football player Chris Doering will headline the Seventh Annual Treasure Coast Gator Toast, 5:30 p.m., Friday, May 9, at Pelican Yacht Club in Fort Pierce.
Tickets can be purchased at www.tcgatorclub.com and $55 for members, $65 for nonmembers or $25 for children.
All proceeds go directly to scholarships for Indian River and St. Lucie County students attending the University of Florida.
This is the second appearance Doering is making at the Treasure Coast Gator Toast, the first being in 2009. He is widely considered by Treasure Coast Gator Club members as one of the best keynote speakers in the history of the Gator Toast, said Bryan Beaty, event chairman.
“Our members have been asking us for years to invite Chris back to speak,” Beaty said. “Not only does he have great stories about his time as a Gator, not to mention Steve Spurrier, he is also current on the state of the UF football program and what we can expect in the upcoming football season.”
One of the most successful wide receivers in college football history, Doering still holds the Southeastern Conference record for career touchdown receptions. He spent nine years in the National Football League playing for coaches including Spurrier, Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher.
Doering remains active with Gators football, hosting a weekly radio show for Florida Sports Talk and was chosen this year to be an honorary co-captain of the annual Orange and Blue Game, allowing him to “draft” the blue team from among the Gators current roster.
Doering cofounded the Florida Players Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering former Gators to improve their communities through networking and service, and was selected last year to serve as the honorary “Mr. Two Bits” at the annual UF homecoming game.
“This is going to be another great evening to remember,” Beaty said. “Anyone who loves the University of Florida or is passionate about Gators football will want to be there.”
In addition to Doering’s keynote address, the Club is celebrating its 30th anniversary and will present over $25,000 in scholarships to 18 UF students from Indian River and St. Lucie County.
The evening will also include a sit-down dinner, one-of-a-kind silent auction items and vendors selling unique Gator gear. Silent auction feature items include game-day tickets, weekend getaways to locations including the Bahamas and Quail Creek Plantation and a basketball autographed by UF head basketball coach Billy Donovan.
The Treasure Coast Gator Toast is sponsored by George E. Warren Corporation, Kyle and Chuck Ball, Samuel A. Block, P.A., Gould Cooksey Fennell, P.A., Jennifer Watson, Florida Power and Light, Harbor Community Bank and Riverside Café.
The Treasure Coast Gator Club is a 501(c)3 organization governed by a local board of directors that celebrates UF and provides networking opportunities for local alumni and UF fans alike. The Treasure Coast Gator Toast, is the signature event of the Treasure Coast Gator Club, which has awarded over $100,000 in scholarships since 2007.
More information about the Treasure Coast Gator Club can be found at www.tcgatorclub.com.