Our mailing address is 43 Harbor Blvd, Destin, FL 32541

The Emerald Coast Gator Club has an active email distribution. However we are not yet configured to accept automated subscription requests at this time. Until the automated system is in place, please contact one of the ECGC officers and request to be added to the list.

The ECGC scholarships are awarded based on a wide variety of criteria. We take into account the student's GPA, the difficulty of their curriculum, their college entrance exam scores, and their place in their graduating class. In addition to course work, we also evaulate each student's work history, any community service performed, and extra-curricular activities. Finally we ask each applicant to write a brief paper that explains their goals for their future.

Each member of the scholarship committee evaulates each and every application individually, then the committee meets (sometimes more than once) to discuss applicants and decide on a ranking for each. Depending on how well the club performed financially, we determine how many scholarships we can afford and then award them to the top applicants.

For the 2018/2019 academic year the Emerald Coast Gator Club was again able to award 5 scholarships valued at $2,000 each to students from Okaloosa and Walton Counties. This is the second year in a row that the club awarded $10,000 in scholarships.

Original, custom T-shirts are for sale. They are high-quality, all cotton shirts, with a one-of-a-kind image on both the front and back. We have both long- and short-sleeve shirts available. Harry T's in Destin is providing storage and handling for the club and is the most convenient way to purchase the shirts.

Certain club officers also have a supply of shirts for distribution in the Niceville and Fort Walton areas. Contact Mike Coupe or Steve Caldarelli to arrange to pick up your shirts in those areas.

T-shirt sales is the primary way that the Emerald Coast Gator Club funds scholarships, so once you've bought a few for yourself, pass the word to your friends and neighbors and help us to help local families send their kids to UF.

A Brief History of Challenge Coins

There are many examples of traditions that build camaraderie in the military, but few are as well-respected as the practice of carrying a challenge coin - a small medallion or token that signifies a person is a member of an organization.

It's nearly impossible to definitively know why and where the tradition of challenge coins began. Stories say that "The Challenge" began in Germany after World War II. Americans stationed there took up the local tradition of conducting "pfennig checks". The pfennig was the lowest denomination of coin in Germany, and if you didn't have one when a check was called, you were stuck buying the beers. If all the other members had their medallions, the challenger had to buy everyone drinks.

Challenge coins are now being used by many different organizations. In the federal government, everyone from Secret Service agents to White House staff to the President's personal valets have their own coins. Probably the coolest coins are those for White House Military Aides - the people who carry the atomic football - whose coins are, naturally, in the shape of a football. Today, it's not uncommon for police and fire departments to have coins, as do many civic organizations, such as the Lions Club and the Boy Scouts. Even Harley Davidson riders and Linux users have their own coins. Challenge coins have become a long-lasting, highly-collectible way to show your allegiance anytime, anyplace.

Each coin is uniquely numbered and the quantities are limited. They will be available for sale at a cost of $20 per coin during our Game Viewing events at Harry T's on the Destin Harbor.