Photography: Lexi CoonShopping for holiday gifts for loved ones in your life? Spread some University of Alabama at Birmingham cheer in the presents you purchase and contribute to. Check out some ideas below for tangible gifts and experiences that will make for a great Blazer-themed holiday season.
For the Blazer fan …
With a new home at Protective Stadium for UAB Football, UAB men’s basketball underway and campus spirit all around, get the Blazer fan in your life something to cheer about.
Treat them to an experience at UAB Football’s final home game of the 2021 season against UTEP at Protective Stadium on Friday, Nov. 26, or to an upcoming UAB Basketball game at Bartow Arena. Purchase tickets for UAB Athletics events here.
Shop UAB products in-person at the UAB Bookstore in the Hill Student Center, or from the convenience of home via UAB’s online Bookstore or UAB Athletics Fan Shop. For a gift with an extra touch of Birmingham pride, shop Blazer products from local print shop Yellowhammer Creative online or at their Pepper Place location.
For the fan who has enough apparel, consider purchasing a UAB holiday ornament, with proceeds supporting the School of Health Professions Student Scholarship Fund.
Photography: Andrea MabryFor the lover of arts …
With the return of in-person events, gift family and friends the experience of time with the arts.
Celebrate 25 years of performances from UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center by attending a show in-person this winter. Whether your loved one wants to enjoy sounds of the holiday season at “Christmas at the Alys” or soulful songs from Holiday Soul with Eric Essix + Five Men, or mull on jazz sounds from Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis, there is something for everyone upcoming at UAB. A full lineup of shows to attend at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center can be found here.
For the person who loves the visual arts, visit the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts and check out the Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration exhibit, which explores the impact of the U.S. prison system on contemporary visual art before it concludes on Dec. 11.
Patrons of all ages and experience levels can enjoy art classes offered by ArtPlay in dance, visual arts, acting and more.
Not able to attend an event in-person? Purchase AEIVA’s coffee table book “A La Carte” to add a local touch of art to their home, or a personalized brick in someone’s honor that will be placed in the ASC Haskell Courtyard.
For the philanthropist …
For the friend who insists they do not need something or the family member who is civic-minded, consider making a donation in their name to UAB’s Benevolent Fund or through UAB’s Advancement Office. A gift in their honor can make the difference in the life of someone struggling in the UAB community or someone looking to expand upon research and/or academic opportunities on our campus.
Donations can be made toward specific initiatives like UAB’s on-campus food pantry Blazer Kitchen, student scholarship funds, specific colleges and units, or additional programs supporting UAB-led community outreach opportunities.
Photography: Andrea MabryFor the foodie …
There is no lack of UAB alumni making a difference in the Birmingham community, and in our local culinary ecosystem there are marks of UAB everywhere.
Support local restaurants owned and/or managed by UAB alumni through an evening out or by purchasing gift certificates. Some local businesses include but are not limited to: