In the spirit of the holidays, President Bernie Machen has chosen to donate $285,000 - the amount of his annual bonus - to a scholarship program.
It seems Bernie truly believes in the notion that it's better to give than to receive.
Although he receives a hefty annual paycheck, Machen's gift should be appreciated.
We can't turn down the $20 we get for selling our plasma and we wish we got paid for donating blood. Passing on nearly $300,000 is impossible for us to comprehend. With that kind of money, we would be able to watch UF destroy every one of their opponents in person, no matter the distance or ticket price.
The beneficiaries of Machen's generosity are students who qualify for the Florida Opportunity Scholars Program, a program Machen created in 2006 to assist Florida students who would otherwise struggle to meet the financial requirements to attend college.
Before we sound too pro-Bernie, we recognize the potentially huge tax write-off he would get for a donation of this size.
You know what? Who cares?
The man is donating a giant chunk of his yearly earnings to the students who need it more than he does.
Be skeptical if you must, but we think this gesture is both kind and financially sound, and those two things don't have to be mutually exclusive.
Spreading the wealth isn't so bad, is it? This isn't socialism. It's generosity and giving.
The Florida Opportunity scholarship could help about 1,500 students next year. Few people have the opportunity to help so many others.
Take your tax break, Bernie. You did good, kid.
