Those responsible for maintaining UF's campus, including groundskeepers and irrigation workers, got a taste of appreciation Friday from a UF organization.
The Hispanic Student Association hosted its first Janitor Appreciation Day by offering free lunch, bags of candy, music and dancing on Flavet Field to about 100 UF employees.
Melany Valderrama, community service director for the group, said the janitors of UF deserve recognition for their hard work.
"Because of them, our campus is so beautiful," Valderrama said. "We want to show that we are grateful for what they do for us."
Dan Scholes, a UF groundskeeper, said the event was the first of its kind he'd seen in his five years at UF.
"I wish all the groups would do this for us," Scholes said.
A free lunch from students once a week would be ideal, he said with a chuckle.
John Black, a UF maintenance mechanic, said the show of appreciation from students gives him incentive to work hard. Black has been at UF for 25 years.
"We do a lot of things that people never see," Black said, including cutting grass, fixing cracked sidewalks and keeping concrete from falling off buildings.
Despite the lack of recognition, he said he enjoys his job.
"If I wasn't enjoying it, I wouldn't still be here now," Black said.
Donald Shepherd, a UF groundskeeper of 11 years, said students have other ways of showing appreciation, including doing their part to keep the UF campus clean.
Shepherd said he thinks students have started taking advantage of trash receptacles over the past few years to take the workload off UF's employees.
Still, he said he enjoys keeping the campus clean.
"This work needs to be done, and somebody's got to do it," Shepherd said.
