<p>The University of Florida celebrated its largest single fundraiser in history Friday night, capping off the celebration by announcing that four Gator football legends will have their names displayed in a new "Ring of Honor" to be unveiled at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium today.</p>
<p>Former Gator coach Steve Spurrier, quarterback Danny Wuerffel, defensive end Jack Youngblood and running back Emmitt Smith will be championed in the new ring, officials announced at Friday's Gator Gala event. The large display will feature names that stretch 18 feet wide and 5 feet high.</p>
<p>The announcement came on a night that UF raised $6.1 million for endowed athletic scholarships. Donors, who included several former Gator athletes, paid $50,000 each for a table at the event.</p>
<p>UF officials said they had never raised so much money in one night. More than 1,100 people attended the event, held at the O'Connell Center, which was transformed from a basketball arena into an extravagant ballroom with 20,000 square feet of hanging draperies and 2,000 strands of lights on the ceiling.</p>
<p>Today's ceremonial unveiling of the ring will mark the second time this year that Spurrier and Wuerffel have been praised in a pre-game ceremony. Both were on hand Sept. 2 at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Gators' national championship.</p>
<p>Friday's fundraiser promises to help bring more future Gator greats to UF. By endowing scholarships, UF will establish a permanent base of money to draw from for future athletes. UF only spends 4 percent of its endowment every year, aiming to recover those expenditures through investments and thereby making the endowment "permanent." The university has about $30 million in endowed scholarships now, but aims to endow as much as $67 million to cover full tuition for all 258 scholarships that cover Gator athletes. Given the success of Friday's fundraiser, UF officials are optimistic about eventually meeting that goal, said Danny Ponce, who helped organize the event with his wife, Nancy.</p>