The sun and the surf offer Floridians a lifestyle unlike any other, but it’s no secret that our FloGrown pride spreads to all corners of the globe. Each year, thousands of young men and women who call the Sunshine State home choose to devote their lives to our nation by courageously enlisting in the United States Armed Forces. These recruits, many of whom have just graduated high school, represent Florida with honor and integrity around the world.
At FloGrown, we support all members of our armed forced and thank them for their service. We’d like to take this opportunity to specifically recognize a fantastic organization that is constantly supporting Floridian graduates of the United States Air Force Academy — the Florida Gulf Coast Parents’ Club.
As one of the most competitive higher education schools in the country, those who are accepted into the USAFA in Colorado Springs, Colorado, must meet and maintain the strictest academic, physical, and ethical standards. Upon graduation, these cadets enter the US Air Force as commissioned officers and begin the next chapter of their phenomenal journey.
The Florida Gulf Coast USAFA Parents’ Club is a non-profit organization that serves the alumni and friends of the AFA along the Florida Gulf Coast and surrounding areas. In 2017, Co-Presidents Phil and Sandy Phillips, proud parents of a USAFA cadet, discovered that while other states host celebratory events at the USAFA, there was no official event recognizing cadets representing Florida.
With so many hard-working young men and women devoting every waking hour to the rigorous academic and physical demands of the program, the Phillips family believed that our Florida cadets deserved an evening of fun, food, entertainment, and most importantly, to feel at home in Florida again. In early 2018, they created The Florida Sunshine Night.
Now in its third year, the Florida Sunshine Night continues to boost morale by bringing a little piece of Florida to over 250 cadets at the USAFA. Families and friends from thousands of miles away will head to Colorado Springs for the Florida Sunshine Night on February 25th. Not only will these talented cadets spend a few hours surrounded by those that love and support them, but they’ll also be able to take their Florida pride with them wherever they go with their own FloGrown apparel.n family, you have our constant love and support.
