Of course, that hasn’t kept these two adorable mermaids out of the pool. Far from it, nothing seems to keep them out of the water. Abigail learned to swim here and Stefani is just about ready. Last year she was fine underwater and did a mean doggy paddle when her head was above water. Erika thinks she’ll be swimming like a fish this year and she doesn’t have long to find out. The day we spoke they were about to go to the pool for their first visit of the season.

According to Mom, they’ve been counting down the days. Stefani, who is particularly anxious, has been asking since Easter, “When are we going to Sun-N-Fun already?”

Who can blame her?

“I usually pick the girls up at Tatum Ridge Elementary where they go to school and we stop at Sun-N-Fun on our way home (the family lives nearby in Fox Creek II). The girls can’t get to the water fast enough,” Erika says. “I’m close behind. Usually, I’m in the water with them or sitting poolside watching. They’ll play for a while and then we’ll head home to make dinner for Dad.”

If they don’t make it after school, the family, along with dad, Jim, a graphic designer currently working at Office Max, goes after dinner for a dip in the pool.

“When they were younger, I used to wait for Jim to get home from work to take them so there was one of us for each of them and we weren’t outnumbered,” Erika says smiling. “Now that they’re older they don’t have to wait till evening. They’re much happier about that.”

In addition to their after school playtime, the family never misses a Friday night because the girls love the Dive-In movies. Abigail usually watches from the water while Stefani curls up with Mom.

“It’s been a great way for all of us to bond, yet we all have some time for ourselves. Jim and I can have a cocktail and still keep an eye on the kids so everyone gets to enjoy themselves.”

And though they’ll occasionally play miniature golf or go to the playground, it’s the pool that really captivates them all. So much so that Abigail had her 7^th birthday party at the Resort.

“She had invited almost twenty of her friends and their parents for a Friday night and had Gnomeo and Juliet planned for the Dive-In movie. She was so excited.” Erika says.

“But we were afraid it might not happen because there were terrible thunderstorms all day long. Parents were calling wondering what we were going to do and Abigail, poor thing, was crying, thinking it was going to be a disaster.

“But just before the party, like a present from heaven, the storm stopped, the sun broke through and it was just beautiful. The kids and their parents stayed well into the evening. The adults enjoyed cocktails from the poolside bar, Boondocks supplied the food and I got the cake while the kids played like they were full-on Energizer bunnies. The staff was so wonderful, it was a fabulous time and the birthday girl couldn’t have been happier.”

Abigail also likes coming to Sun-N-Fun when her Girl Scout troop has their annual cookie sale. She, Stefani, and Mom roll her wagon through the Resort. “Mint’s a big seller, but I think she may do even better with the Shortbread,” Erika says.

Another thing about the Resort Erika appreciates is how supportive Sun-N-Fun is of the girls’ school. “Every year the Resort donates pool passes and a kid’s birthday party to the school’s silent auction. We think it’s great that they’re involved like that in the nearby community. It says a lot about them.”

When school is finally out Erika and the girls go to visit their grandparents for six to eight weeks in Germany, where they live in the beautiful, quaint village of Schonau in Bavaria. Of course, the girls love it – what kids don’t love being spoiled by their grandparents – and it gives them a chance to keep up with their German. Being bi-lingual is something Mom strongly encourages.

But they’re always happy to be home, back here, and back in the water. Of course, we’re happy to have these long time regulars back with us this summer. We’re only hoping that this is the year they decide to give the Hippo Slide a try. It will give them a great new reason to hurry back next year.

Roberta & John Hirth

If you can’t find the Hirths at home it’s a pretty good bet you’ll find them at the pickleball courts, a game for which these New York natives, and now Sun-N-Fun winter regulars, have developed a true passion.

In case you’re one of the few who isn’t playing pickleball, you should know it’s the fastest growing participatory sport in the U.S., a hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis that’s played with a paddle and baseball sized whiffle ball. Just how popular is it? During the past few years, Roberta and John, along with other pickleball volunteers, have taught the game to nearly 600 guests at Sun-N-Fun.

It’s quite a leap since John became Chairman of Pickleball Activities back in 2007-08 and there were only two indoor courts and about 30 people using them. This year, there were 377 active players playing on three indoor courts and six professional grade outdoor courts. Organized games are played five days and four evenings a week.

“Helping popularize the game here and getting people involved is one of the things we’re really proud of,” John, a retired Executive Director of Research and Development at what is now Verizon, tells us.

But while the couple plays almost everyday, Pickleball is just one of the activities that keeps them busy.

A few years ago, Roberta, a retired teacher and Certified Project Manager for IBM, decided she wanted to learn to play the dulcimer. She played piano and during the couple’s first visit here in 2006, she attended classes. Now accomplished on the instrument, she volunteers as librarian for the group’s sheet music collection. The club, which has three groups – beginners, advanced beginners and intermediate players – just keeps growing and now has almost 45 members making music.

Music, in a variety of ways, seems to be a big part of the Hirths’ life at Sun-N-Fun. John is involved with the sound, lighting, and video team that volunteers for all the shows – professional and amateur – at Woodland Hall. Roberta dabbles in line dancing. Together they have started taking ballroom dance lessons, cruising across the floor to the waltz, rumba, cha cha, fox trot and jive. And though they never really danced before during their 48-year marriage, they now attend the twice-monthly soirees at Woodland Hall.

“We’re involved in so many things we rarely leave “the bubble” (as residents affectionately refer to Sun-N-Fun),” Roberta says. “We like the entertainment, the food at Boondocks, and all the activities here. There’s always so much to do.”

“That’s what’s kept us here,” John explains. “We tried Arizona and have traveled all over the country in our RV so we’re familiar with places like this. Only there’s no place like Sun-N-Fun. That’s why we bought a park model vacation home here and committed ourselves.”

“Participating in all the activities has helped us develop so many wonderful relationships,” Roberta adds. “Our friends here have become like an extended family.’

We’re glad the Hirths are part of our extended family.

Sharon & John Halash

Have fun or go home is the motto Sharon and John Halash live by. They must be having a lot of fun at Sun-N-Fun because this year they’ve spent more time than ever in Sarasota. They – and we – couldn’t be happier about it.

Or as John succinctly puts it, “Don’t have to shovel no more snow.”

With their home in Hamburg, Michigan sold, the Halashs began making the transition to becoming full-time residents of Florida, getting drivers’ licenses, registering to vote, finding physicians and getting Sharon’s mom, who also moved to Sarasota, settled into a nearby retirement community. Of course, none of this kept them from enjoying every minute they could in their winter home.

Sharon still finds time to co-chair petanque with her husband. She still plays tennis three or four times a week and enjoys going to the Indoor Pool and Wellness Center to use the pool, hot tub, and sauna. However, she doesn’t use the treadmill, she tells us, preferring to walk the Resort’s grounds.

The walking helps her golf game, which Sharon still finds time to play twice a week. She even volunteers on the ladies golf banquet committee, soliciting prizes from companies like Edwin Wells and Detwilers for the group’s annual end of season dinner, which this year was held at the Boondocks.

As if all that weren’t enough, she helps Tracy, our Lifestyles Coordinator, out with the shows at Woodland Hall on Wednesday evenings; husband John, works along with good friend John Hirth and Rick Flude, on the audio-visual part of the entertainment.

“Working the show with John is sort of our version of date night,” Sharon says through a smile.

John spent a great deal of time this year rewiring Woodland with its new electronic sound system, a big job he hopes to finish soon. He’s also the man behind the camera, recording on video all of the shows at the Hall.

One of the events John enjoyed most was doing the sound for the 50^th Anniversary Wedding party, our annual affair toasting those couples blessed to have spent so many years together.

“This year, one couple celebrated their 67^th anniversary. That’s something special!” Sharon and John have been married only a mere 39 years.

You might think that with the move from Michigan, his passion for petanque, and his work at Woodland Hall, John was as busy he could be. You’d be wrong. He’s also playing volleyball and tennis once or twice a week. He still has time to function as the Resort’s “Mr. Fixit” as well as fix and repair Lionel trains and volunteer as a conductor on the Florida Railroad Museum line.

The Halashs have also been busy entertaining family that’s come down to visit Florida’s new residents.

“Everyone wants to get out of the cold,” John says of the visits.

We’re just happy the Halashs have gotten out of the cold here with us.

Laird & Joyce Spaulding  

A John Kelly Profile 

Laird, give us some of  your background. Where are you from?

Our most recent home town is Portland, Maine. However, my wife Joyce and I came to Portland over the course of a forty-year career with JC Penney with postings throughout the country.

How did you discover Sun-N-Fun? 

One of my hobbies is building and flying radio controlled airplanes; I’ve been doing that since seventh grade. I had a friend up north who was also a flying plane hobbiest who, when he heard I was retiring and purchasing an RV, recommended we visit Sun-N-Fun. There are a couple of excellent model airplane flight spots in the Sarasota area. In fact, one of the premier flying sites in the country is on Bee Ridge Road on top of the huge landfill. There are approximately 300 enthusiasts who use it on a regular basis.

We took his advice and came to Sarasota in 1997 for a two week stay in our motor home. I got to experience some great model airplane flying and experience the activities in the resort. We enjoyed it so much that we began coming back every year for longer periods. We were so happy with our life here that we realized we no longer wanted to travel around the area. We purchased a park model in 2002 and now reside here for five months a year.

I understand that archery is a real passion of yours. What attracted you to this sport and how did you get started?

I started in archery when I was 30 years old and working for JC Penney in Petersburg, Virginia. It was a new store and I was assistant manager. Every day I would tour the store. I had never had archery equipment nor been exposed to it as a sport, but found myself lingering in the archery department during my tour every chance I got. I can’t explain it, but I was fascinated. The lady who worked in the sporting goods department noticed and inquired if I was interested in archery. I said yes and she offered to introduce me to her son who was in an archery club. He had an extra bow, took me out to his club and introduced me to archery. I was hooked and took it up as a hobby that I pursue with real passion to this day, 45 years later.

There’s an excellent archery club on 17^th Street in Sarasota just a ten minute drive from Sun-N-Fun. That’s enabled me to keep active in archery throughout the winter.

How did you develop the interest in archery at Sun-N-Fun? 

In 2010, I put a notice in the Buzz offering free introductory archery lessons. I supplied all the equipment. Twenty-one people signed up. As member of the 17^th Street Archery Club, I’m entitled to take a non-member twice to introduce them to the club. This enabled me to provide those interested with a one hour introductory lesson and a follow up if they requested.

What motivated you to make this generous offer? 

I think there are a lot of people who are curious or interested in archery, but have never had the opportunity to try it.  My initial offer has proven this to be the case. Oftentimes that one hour opens their eyes to a sport that they enjoy and they can go on from there to join the local archery club.

Is there a charge for fee for people to take the one hour lesson?

No, there’s no charge. I supply all of the equipment and conduct the session because I want to provide people with an opportunity to become introduced to an interesting sport.

What is it about archery that interests people?

Different things. Some people come to me to learn to shoot a bow so they can go hunting. I had a mother and daughter take lessons so they could go bow hunting for deer on their farm in New York State. For others it’s like golf. You can shoot on your own or with someone else or compete in tournaments. Another thing about archery that’s important for an older adult population at Sun-N-Fun is that you don’t have to be physically strong to be an archer. I have equipment that can be used by a 5 year old and a 75 year old.

Is archery a sport that people can be easily introduced to?

Very much so! Usually in an hour I can equip a novice with the skill to hit a target at 15 yards.

Sun-N-Fun has announced that there will be an archery range “activity center” opening up in the resort this year? How did this come about?

Tim and Tracy went to the sister resort, Sherkston Shores, in Canada where I understand they have an archery range. It was popular, so Tim decided to build a range at Sun-N-Fun. Since I had my name in the Buzz offering introductory lessons, they approached me run it.

I presented them with information with specifications on constructing an archery practice range. The resort then proceeded to construct a first rate intermediate archers’ range.

How will residents access and use the center? 

I’ll be available to run the one hour introductory sessions on Monday and Friday mornings from 9AM-12 Noon. They’ll call me and book a time.

What sort of qualifications do you have to teach archery? 

I’m a Certified Level 1 archery instructor certified by the National Field Archery Association. I’m qualified to teach camp counselors and resort staff on how to conduct archery lessons on an archery range.

Joyce, you also lead a very active life at Sun-N-Fun. Tell us about some of the activities that you’re involved with. 

Over the years I’ve enjoyed participating in a variety of activities here at Sun-N-Fun including playing with the Snowbird Mountain Dulcimer group, leading the Chimes Choir, singing in the Chorus, and doing Pool Aquatics and Zumba.

“I’m just grateful that Sun-N-Fun is interested in the quality of our lives and that they provide a facility where I can jump on my bike and go to where I can work out without having to leave the grounds.”

Fellow resident Bev Cowling agrees. “I give the Resort credit for the effort they make to keep us all happy. The Wellness Center is a good example of that. It’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone to improve their health and well-being.”

Bev should know. From the time she was a child, being active has been a big part of her life. These days she goes to the Wellness Center several times a week, sometimes twice a day. She does several spin classes with Joanne and has volunteered to teach one herself so more people can enjoy the benefits of the exercise. “I really love that.”

Bev also does a Body Fit class, which involves exercising with a step machine, big ball, weights and stretch bands. She’s also into Circuit Spar, a class with ten stations where participants spend about two minutes rotating between exercises. Occasionally she does laps in the pool.

“Some of the wonderful things about the Center are that you can relax in the hot tub, sauna or on the Chi machine, which really help reduce stress. You can work on your mental wellbeing at the Neuro Center which moved to Lime and Maple (the former Harmony Room) to allow for a larger number of users.”

Karen is another of the Wellness Center’s regulars. “I go six days a week, usually early in the morning, about seven, when my husband Ken is still sleeping.”

Like Bev, Karen’s routine varies. “I like to break up what I’m doing so I don’t get burned out on just one thing,” she says. According to experts that’s a good idea. Doing the same routine everyday leads to boredom and boredom leads to dropping off from regular exercise.

“I love spinning with Joanne and I take her class a couple of times a week. I also do her body fit class and utilize the weight room from time to time. One or two mornings a week I work out with a DVD toning and doing weights with my friend Patti, when she’s here. Sometimes I’ll pull out a mat and do some toning on my own. Then I follow that up with about forty-five minutes on the elliptical trainer.

“Kudos to Sun-N-Fun for having the TVs on the walls for us to work out with and treadmills and elliptical trainers that have their own individual TVs. It’s just another way they spoil us around here.”

Though even with the TVs, Karen says she “doesn’t necessarily jump out of bed saying ‘Oh boy, Oh boy, I just can’t wait to get to the gym’.” That’s why she appreciates the Resort trying to make the experience enjoyable.

She also appreciates the benefits of working out. “Once I start I’m glad I’m doing it. Days I don’t I feel lethargic and a little guilty. I know I need to do it because I know as I age I need to take care. I don’t take any medications and I don’t want to.”

Staying active has proven to have other benefits for both women. For Karen it was the total delight of having her daughters remarking that she had “dropped a couple of inches.” And Bev, just a couple of years ago, at the age of 65, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with her sister, Barb, who lives across the street from her here. Incredibly modest about the achievement, Bev only hopes to see her friends and neighbors realize the benefits of even moderate exercise.

Anyone thinking that these two ladies spend all their time at the Indoor Pool and Fitness Center would be mistaken. Both lead active lives away from the gym. Indeed, it’s all the opportunities that Sun-N-Fun affords Bev and her husband Alf that she likes best about the resort.

“We love being active,” the Ontario native explains. “Sun-N-Fun offers so many different things, they keep adding things, and they offer them at every skill level.

“Last fall we started playing Pickleball, and you could say we’ve become a bit obsessed with it. It’s a sort of combination of tennis and table tennis where you use paddles on a shortened tennis court. It’s just one of the new things the Resort has added in their effort to keep everyone happy.”

Karen and her husband, Ken have been coming to Sun-N-Fun for twenty years, first on a week long vacation, then eventually buying a Park Model. The Indiana natives both love to sail and keep a boat docked in Sarasota and another docked on a lake in Ontario, splitting their time between locations. Karen says that while they both like to get out on the water at least once a week, there’s so much to do at Sun-N-Fun it’s sometimes tough to get off land and onto the water. But they manage.

It’s clear talking to them that both women and their husbands love the active lifestyle that makes Sun-N-Fun so unique. We love having them be a part of it.

Connie’s been a regular at Sun-N-Fun for about fourteen years, coming down from her home in Chesterfield, Michigan, near the Canadian border, to visit her Mom and Dad, Larry and Joann Larson, two of the Resort’s long-time residents.

John, who had worked for a company that builds nuclear installations that power subs and carriers for the Navy, first came to Sun-N-Fun in 2009, returned the following year and enjoyed himself so much he purchased a Park Model vacation home in 2011.

That was just the beginning of John’s good fortune. In November of that year, while having a drink at the Poolside Bar with friends, Connie happened by. Debbie and Walt Williams and Angie and Adam Stark, who knew Connie, introduced them. She was struck by her new acquaintance’s good looks and he was captivated by Connie’s warm, welcoming smile. Sparks began to fly almost immediately.

The group decided to go bowling that evening and while John isn’t a bowler, he was quite content to keep an eye on Connie’s form on the lane. And though she didn’t bowl very well, she certainly threw a strike with John who asked her to go dancing afterwards. While their friends returned to Sun-N-Fun, the couple headed out for a night on the town.

Dancing the night away, they closed the Gator Club on Main and then went for a bite to eat. By this time, what had been a spark had heated up considerably as they talked about their lives, their likes and their hopes for the future. And while there was no kiss goodnight that first evening, the chemistry, according to the couple, was electric.

But the course of true love never runs smooth, and in the cold light of day the next morning, when John went to look for his new lady fair, he couldn’t remember exactly at which Park Model he had dropped her off. So, like any Prince Charming in search of his Cinderella, he started knocking on doors until he finally found the right house. Connie wasn’t at home to greet him having gone shopping with her Mom, so John left his number with her Dad with a request she call him. Later that day she did, John asked her to dinner and for the next few weeks the couple was inseparable during a whirlwind romance.

They watched the Siesta Key Sandcastle competition, strolled St. Armand’s Circle, and wiggled their toes in the sand on Anna Maria Island. But like so many romances, this one wasn’t without  a bittersweet parting, for Connie’s vacation came to an end and she had to return to her job managing an OB/GYN practice near her home.

But the couple decided that having found their soul mates they didn’t want to ever be apart again. So Connie took what is called the lover’s leap, gave notice at her job after ten years, packed up everything, and told her children from a long ago marriage that she was returning to Florida. Reassurances from their grandparents about what a terrific guy John was convinced them Mom was making the right move. John’s two grown children were thrilled their Dad had found new happiness after many years on his own.

The couple soon moved in together and over the next year settled into the Sun-N-Fun lifestyle. They go to the gym, play bingo, and explore Sarasota. And every so often they volunteer to take part in activities like last December’s fashion show.

John, dressed in a tuxedo and looking quite handsome, accompanied his lady when she walked the runway in a variety of outfits. But the last one, a formal dress that will always have a special place in their hearts, was what Connie was wearing when John sprung a special surprise that everyone, except Connie, knew about.

He took the microphone from volunteer organizer, Roseanne Dunklin, dropped to one knee and asked Connie to be his bride. There were tears and cheers and congratulations all around when the now bride-to-be accepted. A wedding is planned for 11/12/13 at 1400 hours (2:00PM) on a nearby beach to-be-determined.

Suzanne Warner & Brad Abernathy

Meet an innovative “Work Camper” couple

A John Kelly Profile 

Interviewer Note:  You’ve probably noticed that every year you come to Sun-N-Fun, you see those familiar, friendly faces that provide you with the excellent service ensuring your winter stay is a pleasurable experience. You’ve probably also noticed that every year you see returning and new faces of people who join the team. These friendly faces are “work campers” — full-time RVers supporting their full-time RV lifestyle and travel bug by taking on temporary positions at the resort during peak season. Here’s your opportunity to get to know two interesting work campers who you may have already met in the front office. Next time you return their smile or a friendly wave, you’ll know a bit more about them and the interesting life style they’ve opted into. 

Brad & Suzanne, many residents at Sun-N-Fun have met you in your capacity as “work campers.” Give us some background on who you are.

Our home base is Portland, Oregon. Brad had a career for 25 years as a software development manager; Suzanne was a math teacher for 20 years at several different levels in the school system and college system.

You’re a couple in the 45-50 year old range, somewhat young by work camping standards. What motivated you both to opt into this lifestyle experience at your age?

We started out as weekend campers. We would camp at state parks in Oregon and met a lot of people who were full-time RVers. Some of them were park hosting at the state parks. They volunteered and, in exchange, earned a free campsite. We became interested in the lifestyle and began exploring and researching the full-time RVing lifestyle and workamping.

What was the decisive factor or issues that made you decide to opt into full-time RVing and work camping as a lifestyle?

Over the period of many years, one of us would want to live fulltime in our RV and travel, while the other wanted to stay in Portland and continue in our chosen careers. For a long time we joked about what would happen if we both wanted to “hit the road” at the same time. Well, the time came when Brad was given a long-term lay-off in 2008, and we hit the road that summer. We explored Alberta, British Columbia and the western US for a year in a 28’ travel trailer and learned what we liked and didn’t like about fulltime RVing and what would work for us. We went home after that year for a couple years, and went back on the road during the summer of 2011.

You  did an excellent job exploring the potential for full-time RVing. What year did you finally make the commitment?

We knew we would start fulltiming in the summer of 2011, so beginning the fall of 2010, we started culling through our personal belongings – giving away some, selling some, and storing the rest. We also sold our previous RV and truck and purchased the new truck and Fifth Wheel we have now.

What was your first work camp experience?

Mesa Resort, a resort in Arizona was our first workamping job. Suzanne taught American Sign Language classes and Brad was a member of the Décor Team. The Décor Team transported decorations and party supplies to/from the nine RV parks owned by the corporation. We each worked 12-hours per week in exchange for an RV site. By fall we had secured a workamping position for summer 2012 with the Mount Rushmore Historical Association.

How do you secure a place for a workamp experience?

There’s a web site www.workamper.com. We keep a close watch on the postings. We like to target a geographic area and find a job in that location. For summer 2012 we targeted Yellowstone and the Black Hills as areas we would have liked to explore. The Mount Rushmore Historical Foundation in the Black Hills became our primary desired location, and by October, 2011 we had secured our positions.

Mount Rushmore is a popular RV destination? What sort of arrangements did you have with the historical foundation?

Suzanne was a salesperson in the non-profit bookstore and Brad worked in the warehouse.  Profits from the bookstores support a variety of programs at Mount Rushmore, such as the Junior Ranger program and seasonal rangers that staff the monument in the summer.

What made you decide to explore the Gulf Coast of Florida and how did you get jobs at Sun-N-Fun?

Both of our parents live in Florida. Suzanne’s parents are on the east coast and Brad’s parents live in Sarasota. We scouted different RV parks and state parks; you need to be persistent to get a winter posting in Florida. We began our search in the spring of 2012  and by May we had secured our winter postings at Sun-N-Fun as Advisors in Sales and Reservations.

Where do you want to explore when you leave Sun-N-Fun next spring?

We haven’t explored the eastern states. We’re going to spend the summer RVing through the east.

Since you decided not to workamp this summer, how will you support your lifestyle during this summer period? 

We developed an RV shade restringing business. There’s an ongoing demand for these repairs in the RV community. We restring the shades in person and also offer a mail-in service.  The website is http://bradsblindrepair.webs.com.

In 1974, Richard Nixon became the first American President to resign. Barbra Streisand’s recording of The Way We Were was the top single of the year. All in the Family was the number one rated show on television. Patty Hearst was kidnapped. People magazine debuted. Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s career homerun record. Answering machines became popular. The average price of a home was $10,990 and gas was $0.42 a gallon. And Sun-N-Fun celebrated its 6th birthday.

It was also the year that Barb and Kevan Peet came to the Resort for the first time. Barb was 19 and Kevan 25. Barb’s aunt, Betty Gowan, recommended it to the couple, who pitched a tent – there were, as Barb remembers it, no Park Model homes yet – and stayed for three months.

“The pool was the big draw back then,” Barb recalls. “There was a little bar and there was shuffleboard. I really don’t remember much else happening then. I do remember we showered in a restroom that was where the Spa is now. We spent a lot of time walking the grounds and did our cooking over a grill. We were young; that was good enough for us.”

In fact the couple liked it enough that when they married on July 4^th of the following year, they returned to Sun-N-Fun and rented a travel trailer there for their honeymoon.

“We think B-181 is the lot where we hitched our honeymoon tent for the week.  We went to Disney World and Busch Gardens. We visited with my Aunt Betty and Uncle Bob and their two sons, Bobby and Mike, who are about my age. We went to Turtle Beach on Siesta Key, visited the Ringling and the Coté a Zan which were really beautiful. And we spent a lot of time at the pool. There was a diving board back then.”

In the intervening years Royalty Resorts purchased the property and began a seemingly endless stream of improvements, Kevan began a successful contracting business and Barb became a Headstart teaching assistant in their hometown of Kalamazoo, MI. They had two children, daughters Megan and Amber. The family continued to grow and now includes the girls’ spouses, Shawn and Eric, Megan’s son, two and a half year old Reid, and Amber’s daughter, two and a half year old Maci. As of this writing, the now grandparents are eagerly awaiting Amber’s second daughter, due sometime this month.

They’ve returned to Florida over the years, visiting Disney World with the kids and even coming back to Sarasota. But when they have, they chose, because of the kids, to stay close to the beach on Siesta Key.

That is until this year, when a trip to Key West and a lot of reminiscing prompted them to make a sentimental journey back to Sun-N-Fun.

“I’m on the Resort’s Facebook page so I’ve seen pictures of some the changes that have occurred over the years,” Barb says. “And while the pool, at least for us, is still the big attraction, we are really astonished at just how much things have changed.

“You come through the gate to the pool area and it’s as if you’re transported to a remote tropical island, which we just love. And the hot tubs and the new bar and the tiling – well, it’s all just beautiful.

“I think the biggest change we felt was that the Resort is now much more family friendly with things like the Hippo Slide by the pool and Bouncing Pillow for the kids. I was quite impressed with the number and variety of Lifestyle programs offered. There wasn’t anything like it when we first came.”

Another addition is the magnificent new Indoor Pool and Wellness Center, which the Peets toured during their visit. “I couldn’t believe it,” Barb says with a bit of awe in her voice.

“We’re investigating where we might want to go after I retire,” Barb tells us. “After a week here, Sun-N-Fun is a definite possibility.”

Having enjoyed having them here every bit as much as they enjoyed being here, we certainly hope so. And if not for their retirement then, at the very least, on another sentimental journey.

That spirit of volunteerism, being a part of a larger community and being actively involved in it, is what makes Sun-N-Fun unique among vacation cottage and RV resorts. It’s also what inspired the Sun-N-Fun team to adopt a philosophy of looking after people, animals and the environment, both locally and globally.

Honored by the Fire Department

This year, that philosophy led the Sarasota Fire Department to award us the Citizen Appreciation award, its highest accolade.

According to Fire Chief Mike Tobias, the relationship between the department and the Resort made Sun-N-Fun the logical recipient.

“The first time I met Tim and Deirdre was for the Pink Heals breast cancer awareness event. They sponsored the reception for the Pink Heals staff and the local volunteers at one of the halls at Sun-N-Fun. I was really impressed with the facility, but even more impressed with the quiet professionalism of the Deputy’s and their team.

“When one of our own firefighters, Deb Schuster, passed away from breast cancer, Tim and Deirdre stepped up again by hosting a reception for Deb’s family and coworkers. They helped us out during a very difficult time.

“Sun-N-Fun has also allowed us the use of Woodland Hall and Cypress Hall so the Fire Department can hold our Town Hall staff meetings. These are events where we invite all our Fire Department team members to attend informal information exchanges. This is of real importance to all of us because it helps keep us connected and communicating.

“Just a couple weeks ago, as I was walking around our Annual Fire Prevention Open House, I started noticing people in Sun-N-Fun Volunteer shirts. That was my first introduction to the Sun-N-Fun team reaching out beyond the Resort’s campus. Many on our staff commented on the friendly and quiet competency these folks brought with them. They stepped right in as if they had done the jobs before and were a welcome addition to our overwhelmed team members.

“The Citizen Appreciation plaque we presented Sun-N-Fun is a small token of the enormous gratitude we feel for all of their support and friendship.”

“We are truly honored by this award because of all the Fire Department has done and continues to do for us. They’ve always been there in so many ways – not the least of which is providing life saving support for our seniors specifically and for the larger community of Sarasota of which we’re a part,” Deirdre Deputy, Sun-N-Fun community projects, tells us. “That’s why we feel a real sense of duty toward them and why we work together with them on so many projects.”

Asked for examples, Deirdre has a litany. “Sun-N-Fun volunteers have worked with the Fire Department on Kids’ Safety Days for the city and for Kids’ Safety Day at Camp Sun-N-Fun.

In fact, nearby Station #9 sends over an engine every other week to Camp so the kids can check out the fire truck and talk to the firefighters, which is something they love doing.

“ We’re big supporters of the firefighters who take part in the Pink Heals Tour that raises money for the fight against breast cancer. This year we accommodated 6 fire trucks and 10 firefighters who were on tour in the pink fire trucks and of course, our resident volunteers were a huge part of all those efforts,” Deirdre explains.

Joining with Big Brothers Big Sisters

The relationship of our volunteers and the Sun-N-Fun team with the Fire Department is just a small part of the Resort’s commitment to the larger community.

We’ve donated over $50,000 in the way of family fun days, spa treatments, birthday parties, venues, long weekends in vacation cottages and RV sites for school and organizations fundraising events.

Management and team members volunteer on their days off to help at many community events. This past year the team and residents volunteered over 1100 hours in our community.

Another example is the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program.

Joy Mahler, BBBS’s CEO, describes that relationship by saying, “BBBS wants to provide children facing adversity strong and enduring professional support in one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. To make that happen, we rely on wonderful volunteers to step up and get involved. One of those is Sun-N-Fun.

“Our relationship with them goes back a number of years. When we started partnering with them it was just to show the kids a good time. They opened their arms and their Resort for the kid’s holiday party. It’s become a tradition they’ve hosted every December for years and the kids love it. The Fire department delivers Santa in a Fire truck then the kid’s are presented with gifts from the Angel Tree in the Resort office where residents and team members place the gifts they purchase to help make a child’s Christmas special,” Mahler was pleased to tell us.

“For the past two years Sun-N-Fun has added a summer fun day at the pool for more than 250 Bigs and Littles to attend. This year BBBS partnered with Staples, who supplied backpacks and school supplies for the kids. Pepsi showed their support by supplying drinks.  Sun-N-Fun supplied the food. It’s great because the kids have school supplies from the very first day of school. They don’t have to play catch up.

“Key to the partnership is that the kids have a safe and fun time when they come to Sun-N-Fun and that’s something they need. It’s why we consider Sun-N-Fun a premier partner – one of the most giving we have. The Sun-N-Fun people care about children and they care about the community.”

Getting Involved Where We’re Needed

The Resort shows that care and concern in a number of other ways, indeed, too many to mention all of them now, but consider these volunteer programs and the good they accomplish.

In addition to the volunteer program for a guide dog, the Resort has held an Annual Greyhound Picnic for the past 10 years to benefit these animals and encourage adoptions. The Picnic is a homecoming gathering for folks who’ve adopted these truly special dogs.

“About 150 dogs and their parents attend,” Deirdre tells us, “and there’s never a bark to be heard, although our greyhound, Bella, always complains that the dogs never get any food.”

No complaints from the dogs’ parents on that count – Budweiser and Pepsi contribute product and team members, managers, and volunteers give their time and food to make sure everyone has a great time.

Sun-N-Fun volunteers also come out to cheer on runners in the Police Athletic League’s half-marathon, waving signs emblazoned with mottos like “If it was easy we would be running” and “Find Your Happy Pace.” They also come out in force to set up and cheer on the runners at the annual Springfest 5 and 12K races that raise money for kids in our community.

Kids are a big focus for Sun-N-Fun resident volunteers. “We’ve also hosted Alpha Phi Alpha’s annual scholarship reception. Alpha Phi Alpha is an African-American organization that awards scholarships to deserving young men and women. And we volunteer at their fundraising golf tournament,” Deirdre is pleased to add.

“Our community of residents raise thousands of dollars every year for the American Cancer Society, another big concern for us. This year, residents collected $8,000 and the year before they held a relay that culminated in an incredible donation of $38,000. And while our team supports their efforts, this is something resident volunteers do entirely on their own,” Deirdre says with obvious awe at their commitment.

Belly Up to the Bar

Now the bar that greets you is as beautiful as the day. Completely redone, the poolside bar is more welcoming than ever. It’s bigger with a beautiful granite countertop, tiled sides, and high-backed chairs you can really get comfortable in while you have a drink and watch the game on the bank of televisions inside the horseshoe-shaped bar. Replacing the old lattice wall in the bar’s interior is a new concrete wall from which four tabletops emerge, each with its own television. It’s not only bigger and more beautiful, it’s more convenient, with handicapped accessibility so everyone can enjoy its delights.

Best of all, we’ve added a new specialty drink menu that includes an array of martinis and bar supervisor Christine’s newest creation, the soon-to-be-famous (Sun)-gria. There will be ten beers on tap including Shock Top, Yuengling, Fosters, and old favorites like Millers, Millers’ Lite, Bud and Bud Lite. What’s really cool, besides the very reasonable prices, is the new “Bottoms Up” beer dispenser that fills your glass from the bottom up. Click here to take a look at how it works;  you’ll have to see it to believe it. The best news is that the new “Bottoms Up” can fill a glass in an unbelievably short time, so you’ll never be waiting too long for your liquid refresher.

New Taste Treats

We know when you get thirsty you also get hungry so we didn’t stop improvements at just the bar. We’ve also done a “remodel” of the grill. Sure, you’ll find the same friendly window and faces when you order, but inside we’ve completely redone the prep area, creating a larger space and adding items like a mega munchies platter that’s perfect for a family appetizer or a group of friends, a meatloaf on Ciabatta bread with fresh herb aioli that gives an old favorite a new twist, and an Asian chicken salad with toasted almond slivers, mandarin oranges, carrots, celery, sesame seeds and tomatoes served with pineapple-poppy seed dressing for those who want something a bit healthier – after all, the new Indoor Pool and Wellness Center is opposite the pool and we wouldn’t want you feeling guilty when you dive into something delicious.

Who’s Cooking?

The person overseeing all these changes is our own Chef JoAnn Powell and there’s nobody better equipped for the job. In her twenty years in the restaurant business, Chef JoAnn has done it all, from her start as a dishwasher at a ski resort in her native Maine to managing Dive!, a submarine-themed restaurant owned by Steven Spielberg in Las Vegas.

In between, she and husband Jeff have done quite a bit of traveling, including a stint in Montana, where they worked on an organic farm and where JoAnn developed an appreciation of locally grown dairy and produce, a philosophy she brings to our kitchen.

She was working in a small restaurant in Venice – Montana proved too cold, even for folks from Maine – when she heard about an opening at Sun-N-Fun. General Manager Tim Deputy, no stranger to the restaurant business himself, immediately recognized a kindred spirit. The rest has been a happy history of wonderfully prepared comfort foods for lunch, dinner and Sunday morning breakfasts. These days, while she does some of the cooking, Chef JoAnn spends most of her time overseeing the kitchen staff of work-campers. She’s particularly proud of the very popular traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners she does every year, a menu that includes turkey, ham, string bean casserole, stuffing, ambrosia, and pumpkin and apple pie. Yum!

JoAnn and Jeff make their home in Bradenton with their four dogs: Sadie, a year and a half old Doberman mix they found on the side of the road and adopted, Gracie, a sixteen year-old pug they’ve had three years, thirteen-year old Sophia, a Lapso Apso they got as a puppy, and Chester, a pug they adopted as a pup and have had for twelve years.

And how does JoAnn handle having to sample all those great dishes the kitchen turns out? We’re told she does the extreme P90X workout every morning. Good idea for staying in shape. But as for us, we’re racing over to the Bar & Grill. That’s our idea of a workout.

The same may not be said with any certainty about their post-prom party at Sun-N-Fun fifty years ago. Back then, Kennedy was President, Elvis topped the charts, and Pat Harvesty was swooning over Pat Boone and his hit, Love Letters in the Sand.

“We have great memories of those days,” Pat says. “Of course, you remember all the friends you made and are still close to and all the good times you had together. There were pep rallies, football games, and sock hops after the game. There was the beach where we’d all get together, try to get the deepest tan, and go swimming and waterskiing. In the evening, we’d fill a car with as many people as possible – like the clown cars at the circus – and head to the drive-in. They were fun times and great days and we did it all,” Pat tells us.

One of the things Pat did back then was meet her late husband, Bud, who was in the graduating class of ’60, Riverview’s first. In fact, because they were engaged and Bud was in service in Viet Nam, Pat didn’t attend the post-prom party out of loyalty. Probably a wise choice since the couple enjoyed forty-nine years together before Bud passed away a little more than a year ago.

Back then, Sun-N-Fun had only recently opened. There was a pool, but not much else. It would take years for the Resort to develop into the winner of RVing’s highest honor, the coveted National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds National Mega Park of the Year Award and open its state-of-the-art Indoor Pool and Wellness Center. And according to Pat Harvesty, the perfect place to hold an event.

Like Sun-N-Fun, the school has gone through changes. Back in the day, when it was new, many of the students were bused from locations all over the city. Pat even remembers some students arriving by boat because Proctor didn’t cross over Philippi Creek.

As the Resort and the students both grew up, many of Pat’s classmates were regulars at Sun-N-Fun so the class’s connection runs deep. Neil Aikenhead was a lifeguard at the Resort, Willie Mizell had the aforementioned post-prom party there, and Judy Corbitt Eisenangle, who was on the school’s swim team, used to practice here.

Pat could not have been more pleased with how responsive Joanne, our chef, and the Sun-N-Fun team were to their requests for the reunion and how much trouble the team went through to help make it a success. They arranged the seating so everyone could mingle and catch up. In honor of the school’s colors, the tablecloths were white and the place settings maroon as were the balloons, sprinkles and signs that decorated the Boondocks.

Pat expected about forty of her classmates to attend. She was delightfully surprised when more than a hundred came, some from as far as California, like Marie Pityn Barberi. Willie Mizell traveled from Colorado. Dave (a classmate) and wife Katherine Winters, Linda Scott (a classmate) and her husband Gary Miller, and Sandra James (a classmate) and her husband Danny Bibler, RVed to the event. Donna Drayton and her husband, Ralph Maltby, who were classmates that married, boated in from Cape Coral, FL.

“The only disappointment was that there were so many people mingling we didn’t have room to dance. I was left wondering who still had the moves,” Pat says with a laugh.

Over the years the graduates started families of their own, but their relationship with Riverview is still strong: Pat’s son, Tim, went to school there, as did granddaughter Cinnimon, who just graduated in the class of ’12, and now granddaughter Skylar is a ninth grader at the school. And relationships with Sun-N-Fun continue as well; Tim, his wife Connie and the girls enjoy coming here and camping.

The class reunion is a great tradition. Pat says one of her classmates, Ben Knisely summed it up perfectly in a note he sent Pat the next day.

“…I had no idea how much of an impact a few hours could make…It was so nice to see everyone, but more important was the rekindling of memories and the reflection to pause a moment…and recall from where we came and how those early friendships and values have steered the direction of our lives.”

We’re glad that we could be a part of the class of ‘62’s event and glad that we could be a part of so many of their lives for so many years.