Some are gone, but none are forgotten. Florida Gulf Coast University will forever hold all of its alumni close to its heart. Alumni weekend will be held from Thursday, Feb. 19, to Saturday, Feb. 21.

Angela Kunkle, assistant director of alumni programs and an alumna herself, hopes this weekend helps graduates feel engaged with FGCU.

“We want to make sure our graduates feel reconnected not only with the alumni association, but with the university as a whole as well,” Kunkle said.

The first FGCU Alumni Weekend was held in 2008.

“We’d like for more graduates to join the association and give us feedback for the next time around,” Kunkle said.

A variety of events are scheduled for the weekend. The weekend will kick off Thursday with a “Paint & Pour” event at 5:30 p.m. at the Campus Support Complex. Alumni will have the opportunity to paint Azul in this event.

“An alumnus who has his own business, DaVinci’s Vine, in Bonita Springs will be helping us out to hold this particular event,” Kunkle said.

Friday will include a lunch at noon in the Cohen Center Ballroom, a campus tour at 2 p.m. and the Alumni Awards at 6 p.m. in the Lutgert  Hall courtyard. The nominations for these awards took place last year.

On the last day, the alumni will be able to attend the Alumni Art Exhibition Brunch at the FGCU library. This is the first time the art exhibition will be held during Alumni Weekend. The graduates will also be able to reunite while playing basketball in the alumni basketball game held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon in Alico Arena. The weekend will close with a tailgate party, followed by the FGCU men’s basketball game.

“Basically we try to set the full spectrum for the graduates to come back,” Kunkle said. “We try to include a bit of everything, and cover every area.”

The schedule for the weekend is planned throughout the year by the Alumni Relations office. However, different departments are involved in the organization.

“The more people, the better,” Kunkle said. “Everyone is part of the weekend.”

Kimberly Wallace, director for alumni relations, hopes this weekend will allow alumni to associate with the university again.

“We want to welcome back all of the graduates, assess any questions they might have and make sure they know we’re here to help,” Wallace said.

Alumni Weekend is traditionally attended by graduates and their families and friends.

“We had over 700 people attend alumni weekend last year,” Wallace said. “We are expecting close to 800 people this year.”

All of the events are open for current FGCU students to attend.

“We love to see students participate in the weekend,” Kunkle said. “Alumni want to hear what students are doing and what their initiatives are.”

Any students interested in volunteering for the weekend can contact Kunkle at [email protected].