Exactly one year later, on Valentine’s Day 2011, on an unseasonably cold Siesta Key beach at sunset, Ivan and Priti became man and wife. The bride wore a sari while the groom sported white trousers and shirt, set off by a leather necklace with wooden beads he had made for himself and his best man. The couple was surrounded by about sixty friends from Sun-N-Fun, all bundled in hoodies and jackets, supplying what warmth there was, in a ceremony officiated by Sun-N-Fun General Manager, Tim Deputy, who among his many talents has the authority to perform weddings.

After many pictures, guitar music from Priti’s dance teacher, and a champagne toast on the beach – “My hands were shaking, but with the cold,” Ivan explains – they returned to Sun-N-Fun and a grand party thrown by their friends in the Pavilion.

“When we started to let people know we were getting married, a committee of ladies – Carol Williston, Rita Edmondson, Ann Marie Rose, Sharon Rigby, Nancy Gillis, Penny Emmett and Dora Carvalho – took on the responsibility for overseeing various aspects of the wedding and party and all helped to make it an event as lovely, fun and unforgettable as my wife,” Ivan says, still obviously in awe at his good fortune in his choice of a bride and the kindness and thoughtfulness of their friends.

The wedding was a long time coming and the story behind it is as romantic in its way as the wedding.

Ivan was a fireman in Nottingham, England where his best mate was a fellow named Dave. After working together for nearly twenty years, Dave brought around a beautiful woman he would soon marry. That woman was Priti. Not too many months later, Ivan married as well. The two couples were great friends, vacationing together when they could in France. Eventually Ivan retired and bought a sailboat where he lived with his wife on the Spanish Mediterranean.

In 1998, Ivan and his wife came to the states. He was looking for a car and an RV they could rent and use to tour. That brought him to Sun-N-Fun and he decided to make the Resort his base. Over the next few years they traveled to every state in the Union, save Hawaii, Alaska and North Dakota. When the touring was done Ivan, who had fallen in love with Florida’s West Coast and Sun-N-Fun, decided to purchase a vacation home here. Not long after, he and his wife divorced.

When friend Dave finally retired from the fire brigade, he and Priti moved to Spain, where they bought a home. But when Dave took ill and passed away, Ivan went to Spain to help Priti get over the loss. In time, the deep feelings that the two had shared for so many years as close friends turned to love and they decided to spend the rest of their lives together.

And so, for the last four years they have been splitting their time between Sun-N-Fun and Spain, where Priti, who speaks English, French, Spanish, Catalan, German and Punjavi, works part time in the travel business. Here, she spends her time preparing for the yearly talent show, rehearsing her dance routines four or five days a week. Ivan stays fit swimming, working in the workshop, and playing Petanque.

Priti and Ivan’s marriage truly is a happily ever after story, and the joy in their voices when they speak of one another proves once again that love can be sweet the second time around.

It’s been a long process since we first envisioned building this fantastic addition to the resort, already recognized in 2008 and 2010 by the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds with its coveted National Mega Park of the Year Award. Now, with the new Center, Sun-N-Fun offers what no other vacation home and RV resort in Florida can.

On the ground floor of this handsome new 148’ x 106’, 18,716 square foot under air facility, you’ll find an indoor pool the same length as our outdoor pool, an adjacent large hot tub, a multi-use room with free weights, stretching machines and exercise equipment. Indeed, it’s so complete that if you’re working with a physical therapist, you’ll find everything needed right here.

To help keep your brain as healthy as your body and keep it operating at the same peak efficiency, there’s a 400 square foot room with computers running the very latest breakthrough brain training technology. You will have a blast playing with it while simultaneously decreasing stress levels.

Also located on the ground floor are men and women’s locker rooms with showers, and co-ed sauna and steam rooms.

Upstairs, by elevator or stairs, are more exercise rooms. On the south side, is an aerobics room with big screen TV to help take you through a variety of exercises from Zumba to spinning. On the north side, treadmills, circuit training machines, step and elliptical trainers overlook the pool below.

Best of all, all this is just a short walk, bike ride, or golf cart drive away.

Building one of Sarasota’s Greenest Buildings

As fantastic as what the Center offers is what went into its construction. Designed by Jedd Heap, AIA, LEED AP, of Carlson Studio Architecture, a regional leader in sustainable design, the Center is one of only 18 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings in all of Sarasota. We are presently seeking Gold Certification, a designation held by only seven buildings in the county. Overlooking no detail to accomplish this, Jedd designed the Center, and Creative Contractors of Clearwater built it, carefully considering every detail of its construction. As a result, the Indoor Pool and Wellness Center:

• Is one of only two buildings in Sarasota to use ground water sourced geothermal cooling.
• Employs a process that uses the pool water to air condition the enclosed pool space.
• Uses all LED lighting for both the interior and exterior of the building.
• Used recycled glass, plastic, and rubber in many of the materials, such as the tiling.
• Used bamboo flooring, a rapidly renewing material.
• Used energy efficient windows to not only provide a sense of openness and connectiveness with the outdoors, but to provide natural lighting in most spaces.
• Has large doors in the pool area to open it up on nice days
• Has an acoustical ceiling in the pool area to control sound.
• Employs non-glare lighting throughout.
• Has a 10,000- gallon cistern to capture rainwater, which is used to flush toilets and irrigate landscape.
• Uses solar powered water heaters to provide hot water for the showers, laundry, etc.
• Uses occupancy sensors to turn on/off lights automatically in most spaces.

And with all this, The Indoor Pool and Wellness Center hasn’t sacrificed a thing to comfort, convenience and overall good looks. In short, it’s a WOW.

The Challenge

Jedd Heap faced a number of challenges in designing the building. The honored architect used them as opportunities.

“An indoor pool generates a huge amount of humidity into its surrounding space, and treating the air, keeping it sufficiently cool can be very energy intensive. To gain the efficiency of design we wanted, we used a system that utilizes the pool water to act as a heat sink for the dehumidifier. To further save energy, the pool is heated using the same process we use to cool and dehumidify the air.

“The condensate water from the dehumidifier is then fed into the cistern to be reused for flushing toilets and irrigation of plants. The rest of the building uses water from the aquifer as a heat sink, thus lowering energy consumption for the entire building.

“Another design challenge was to connect the existing outdoor pool and deck area to the new building. We provided extensive glass on the face of the building to accomplish this, but also provided a deep overhang to prevent too much heat gain from the sun, which would have necessitated using more energy to cool the building.”

One Final Word

Director Tim Deputy, sums up the possibilities and hopes for what we believe the new Indoor Pool and Wellness Center means to Sun-N-Fun.

“The entire Team is really excited about the additional opportunities this new facility will provide our guests to develop and maintain a balanced, healthy lifestyle. The Sun-N-Fun lifestyle.”

When an injury to his knees at 15 ended a promising career as a rugby player, Tris took up clay shooting. And he quickly made – forgive us again – an explosive entrance into the sport.

Clay shooting is quite popular in Tris’s native England – he hails from Leicester about an hour and a half north of London where he grew up on his father’s sheep farm – and right from the start he showed a real talent for the sport. After completing a three-year course in Business Management at the University of Buckingham in just two years and graduating at 20, he got into shooting seriously and he was soon competing all over Europe.

As the only member of Great Britain’s under 21 team, he won a Bronze Medal competing against marksmen from all over Europe, shooting in France, Portugal, Italy and Spain. As part of a two-man team for England competing against the other countries of Great Britain – Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the Channel Islands – he took Gold. His success continued as part of England’s nine-man over 21 team, twice winning team Gold. He’s also won the prestigious Waterloo Cup as a senior – over 21 – for Great Britain competing against the other nations of the European Union. And he modestly admits to having won a few individual medals, all of which he keeps at his father’s farm.

It was while competing that his desire to come to America really started to take shape and his resolve strengthened.

“Loving outdoor activities made me want to come to the States because they just seem to be doing things right over here. I’d come to that conclusion because of all the stories I’d hear from fellows when I was competing on an international level. It was other competitors and friends that convinced me to give it a try,” is how he explains his decision.

He took a job with Bourne Leisure, the English company that owns Royalty Resorts, as a Sales Advisor at two of their properties on England’s South Coast. He quickly proved himself as adept a salesman as he was a shooter. He asked his grandfather, David Allen, to help him find something in the States and it was Sun-N-Fun’s good fortune that there was an opening here.

“The atmosphere here at Sun-N-Fun is really fantastic,” he says. “Everyone’s happy because everyone’s enjoying their stay and you feed off that energy. The team cohesion is really extraordinary. It’s an amazing place because everything is done so well.”

Nor has Tris been disappointed by his expectations of life here on Florida’s Gulf Coast. He’s gone fishing, caught a grouper and cooked it himself. He’s been to the Mote Aquarium to watch a friend, Frank Barbin, who operates a crane company weigh a Manatee and he got to feed it. This Thanksgiving he and Frank headed to Dallas to see the Cowboys play the Dolphins, an experience he looked forward to with great excitement. He’s even had the chance to keep his gun hand steady and his eye sharp; he’s been shooting out at the farm of a friend, at Clay Gulley and hopes to get over to the Knight Trail range south of Sarasota.

He’s also made friends with Jeff Dickson’s son, Scott, and Ian Wilbraham’s son, Greg. The three young men like going to Gulf Gate and Siesta Key, checking out the bars and listening to music. We were told we were a little too old to hang with them. Too bad.

Tris will return home for Christmas and then return to Sun-N-Fun in early January when he hopes to meet some of the folks he’s talked with about vacation homes and rented RV sites to. We’re sure we’re on the mark when we say they’re going to enjoy meeting this straight shooter as much as we did.

Sharon and John Halash have a motto: Have fun or go home – and this couple from Hamburg, Michigan lives every moment of their lives in that spirit. They came to Sun-N-Fun seven years ago, on St. Patrick’s Day – can’t imagine a better day to arrive – with their friends Mary Beth and Dan Blaszczyk, joined the party that was going on poolside and had such a good time they signed up for a RV spot the following year. Two years later they purchased a Park Model and are now here every year from October through May. They haven’t looked back since.

They soon discovered petanque and quickly became big fans of the increasingly popular game. How popular? Three times a year the group meets to play Beach Petanque at South Lido Beach and this year more than 100 people attended. Now, together, they head up the group that recently played our Canadian sister resort, Sherkston, to a tie in what we all hope will became an annual event.

“We designed a new petanque area, went to GM Tim Deputy with our plan, and Tim was right on it. That’s one of the things we love about it here. If Sharon and I want to try something, Tim and the team are always supportive,” John says.

When asked who is the better player; this very wise husband answered, “She is.” Sharon teaches water aerobics one day a week, is on the tennis club’s Board of Directors, and helps Tracy with various Lifestyle events like helping the kids paint pumpkins for Halloween. John volunteers as part of a three-man team that does sound and sight hookups for events like the Murder Mystery Dinner, and plays on the volleyball, softball, and tennis teams. Together, they golf, Sharon once a week on the ladies team and once a week on the coed team with John. With all this, John still has time to pursue his passion for trains, both model and real. He fixes and repairs Lionel trains and is a conductor on the Florida Railroad Museum’s line that runs from Parrish to Willow Creek near the Myakka River. Check it out; it’s our Hidden Gem this month. “We’re here to help and have fun. It makes the days pass much too quickly,” Sharon tells us. All we can say is that this is a couple that definitely lives true to their motto.

Margaret and Bob Hanson 

Spend a few minutes talking to Margaret Hanson and you’re sure to be as charmed as we were by the lovely lilt of her Scottish accent. Happily, she brings it, and her wonderful energy, to a host of activities here at Sun-N-Fun. The Hanson’s came to Florida seven years ago seeking a refuge from the winter weather in their hometown of Macclesfield, a small town in Manchester, England.

They met Marie Klebart, a cousin who’s been a Sun-N-Fun regular for 17 years, for lunch, fell in love with the Resort, bought a vacation home, and return every year from September ‘til after Easter. “We’re so glad we didn’t buy a brick and mortar,” Margaret says. “We just wouldn’t have the active social life we have here.”

And quite a social life it is. Dedicated ballroom dancers, the Hanson’s attend the bi-weekly dances at Woodland Hall. They “tread the boards” at the monthly Murder Mystery Dinners, Bob performing and Margaret serving as Stage Manager and makeup artist for the sold out shows. They help out at the annual 50th Anniversary Dinner, where those couples fortunate enough to reach that milestone are feted – the Hanson’s are celebrating their 33rd – and the Veterans’ Breakfast. And they also participate in the Children’s Christmas Party, decorating Woodland Hall for Santa and helping the kids decorate their gingerbread.

Of course, they also have their separate activities. Bob plays volleyball and plays golf twice a week with a group organized by Gary Novak. Margaret enjoys meeting her girlfriends for morning coffee, does tai chi twice a week, and walks about an hour everyday, the one activity this very social lady does alone.

Asked what she likes best about Sun-N-Fun; Margaret, without hesitation, tells us it’s the people. “Whether its Mardi Gras or Halloween, folks really get into the swing of things here in a way they don’t at home. And, of course, discovering new things. Every year there’s something new here we want to do and explore. I can’t wait for the new Indoor Pool and Wellness Center to be finished. I plan to do my tai chi there and use the resistance jets in the pool. Things here just get better every year.”

With couples like the Hansons and Halashs here at Sun-N-Fun, we couldn’t agree more.

Children enjoying their happy meals from their "adopted" grandparents

As these things happen when you’re teenagers, Joann went off to Florida State University, where she got her degree in Social Work with a minor in Music, and Leslie went to work for his father in the water-well drilling business.

Eventually they got back together, married and settled on a little farm just outside of Ft. Myers. But as everyone knows who’s married, that’s not the end of the story. Joann pursued her career as a nursing home administrator and Leslie eventually took over his dad’s business. About seven years ago they got a travel trailer, discovered Sun-N-Fun and have been coming here weekends from April thru December ever since.

Involved with their careers, they decided not to have children, but that didn’t keep them from having a loving spot in their hearts for kids. They always found a way to spend time and work with them, first at their church and then at Sun-N-Fun, where this summer their kindness and generosity earned them the title of the Sun-N-Fun’s day camp unofficial grandparents.

It started with just seeing what they could do to help. They began buying about fifty day campers breakfast every Friday morning at McDonalds. Then Chef JoAnn volunteered to do the cooking if the Hodges’ got the supplies. They were happy to comply and the kids were happy to gobble up pancakes and bacon and wash it all down with chocolate milk before heading off to a day filled with fun activities.

And they did lots of little things, like make medals for the winners of the day camp fishing tournament. When day camp was close to ending, they collected school supplies for all the children, sending them home to start the school year with notebooks, folders, paper, pencils and protractors. But mostly they took the time to spend time and that, after all, is what’s most important to a child.

The Hodges’ did this, despite some serious health problems of their own earlier in the year. Joann had a problem with blood clots in her legs and lungs. She had to learn to walk again, dress herself, and bathe. Leslie, who’d, had a stroke some years back, lost part of his right foot as a result of his diabetes. But Joann says that every day is a new day and their faith and love for one another has helped them along the road to recovery.

Part of that recovery for this remarkable couple was reaching out to the campers. One youngster in particular caught their attention. They noticed her because she often stood apart from the other children her head down and her shoulders slumped as though she was carrying the weight of the world. The Hodges’ soon learned that what she was carrying was the pain of her parent’s separation. A grandmother, with whom she was living, became gravely ill and needed surgery.

The couple developed a special feeling for the child and spent as much time with her as they could. They got her a new wardrobe for the start of the new school year and wrapped it all up as presents. The present they received in return was the warmth of a child’s smile at the hope that everything would work out. With people like the Hodges’ in her life, we’re sure it will.

Lucky Healey 

“My folks could not have picked a better name for me, because I am definitely the luckiest dog in the world, not only because I get to live at Sun-N-Fun, the greatest place on earth, but because when my parents found me I had been abandoned and was living on the street.

“They saw me scavenging for food on the road right across from Sun-N-Fun, stopped their truck, picked me up, brought me here, adopted me – and I’ve been living the good life every since. That’s why they call me Lucky and why I love them like crazy.

“Dad takes me for an hour long walk every morning so I can sniff my way through the whole Resort. It’s something I just love to do because there’s something to investigate in every nook and cranny here. But I’d have to say that the best part of my walk is all the attention I get. It seems everybody has a biscuit, hug, or belly rub for me. I guess it’s because I’m so darned cute, or maybe because I always let people know I’m available by rolling onto my back. I think people must like rubbing my tummy almost as much as I like having it rubbed.

“The Sun-N-Fun team is especially good to me. Whenever they see me, they stop what they’re doing just to give me a little special attention. I think because I was found across the street, everyone feels I’m a little bit theirs and they’re as happy as I am that Mom and Dad brought me to live here.

“My favorite time of year is winter because a lot of my friends are Snowdogs who come down for the season and so I’ve got lots of pals to play with. But without question, my best pal is Bella Deputy. Bella’s a Greyhound so she’s lots bigger than I am, but that doesn’t mean a thing to us. We get together a couple of times a week to play, chasing toys and trying our best to get into mischief. Sometimes we do. What fun!”

Sammy and Smoolee Chesnick

You don’t have to be a dog that lives here to enjoy Sun-N-Fun. Sammy and Smoo, a Schnauzer and Muttigree, both rescues, enjoy visiting with their Mom and Pop, Kathleen and David Chesnick. Sammy’s a big talker and has lots to say to everyone about everything.

“Smoo and I love this place. Sometimes Dad comes to work here and we get to stay for a couple of days. It’s great. What we like best is the chance to get off the leash and run wild around the Bark Park. At home, I’m a bit of a couch potato, but at Sun-N-Fun I can stretch my legs and have a blast. I like being outdoors and when we’re here, we’re outdoors a lot.

“Smoo, on the other hand, is always on the move, at home and here. But instead of running around from room to room like he does at home, he gets the chance to roam around. We also get extra long walks because there’s just so much space and so much to explore. Smoo likes to do his little act for folks, walking in circles and doing his “sit pretty” trick because everyone tells him how cute he is and gives him biscuits and loving. He’s a total show off. Mom says he belongs in Sarasota because he’s a total circus dog.

“Of course, even with all the great stuff to do and see here, it isn’t all a bed of roses at Sun-N-Fun. That’s because every time we come here Mom takes us to one of the doggie bath stations and gives us a real good wash before we go home. I’d never let her know, but I like the water even if I don’t like the wash. What would be great is if they let us go swimming in the pool, but then I guess you can’t have everything – though I have to admit – you come pretty close here.

“Smoo doesn’t like getting a bath at all. Not one little bit. Actually, I think the only thing he likes is getting biscuits. He’s such a beggar boy. I don’t blame him at all for begging to come here. Sun-N-Fun is a just a doggie paradise.”

G. Wiz isn’t just for kids anymore. Great new exhibits promise to stimulate the imagination and awaken curiosity. Check out the new Faulhaber Fab Lab, a place designed to nurture the inventor in all of us, where you can use cyber tools to digitally fabricate anything from a new car to a rocket ship. Learn more at www.gwiz.org.