Since the Gator coaches can’t actually coach this summer, even though the players are practicing on their own, they’re taking a little downtime with their families this week.

Earlier over the weekend they were scheduled for the annual visit to King Gator’s (Sid Rice) place at Pass-A-Grille near St. Petersburg, then some of them were planning to drop in at the John and Olga Alvarez Memorial Day Picnic in Ocala. Among the guests in Ocala were Mel Tillis and his band, who performed some of Mel’s hit songs, including the monster one that e wrote, “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town.” Tillis is a long-time Gator fans who was a close friend of the Charley Pell regime.

Alvarez is a Bull Gator with a big heart who is putting his effort and his money behind building Project Hope, a center for the homeless north of Ocala. Alvarez has been raising money for several years and hopes to begin construction soon. The center will be for women and children only at first.

“We have over 1,000 homeless children in this country,” said Alvarez, “and some of them are living in the woods.”

He said he is proud that every dime collected goes straight to the project.

Project Hope is just the kind of mission Urban Meyer could get behind, officially or unofficially. I’m going to predict that that he will become a big proponent of it soon.

Besides, it has a nice ring to it for Gator fans, doesn’t it?