Sun N Fun Blog: RV Resort, Vacation Homes, Vacation Home Rentals in Sarasota, Florida

We couldn’t be happier – or prouder – to be this year’s winner of the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (ARVC) National Mega Park Award for 2010. It’s the highest honor any of the 3700 private Parks and Campgrounds in the U.S. can win – and it’s the second time we done it in the last three years.

Both Elly Leck and Dee and Don Dammann came to Sun-N-Fun thinking they would retire to a nice quiet life here. Were they ever wrong – and they couldn’t be happier about it.

Meet Elly Leck

Elly Leck has lived in Newport Beach, California, where she worked with her late husband, Jim, in his law practice for 17 years. And she’s lived in Sedona, Arizona, where the couple retired, lived on five acres and ran an old country store, restaurant and gas station. But she’s never been more active, happier, or enjoyed anywhere more than she does Sun-N-Fun.

“There just aren’t enough hours in the day,” Elly complains. “I get up and walk with a group of girlfriends, then I play tennis and finally go to the pool for the water aerobics class. It’s fun!”

Barely pausing for breath, she goes on, “I love dancing and we do line dancing, salsa and swing here at the social dances. Then there’s karaoke, game nights and potluck dinners with friends. There’s always so much to do.”

Even with all this, Elly still finds the time to give back to the community. An animal lover, she’s started a donation drive for the Humane Society and is planning a dog-a-thon and cat walk to raise money for her – forgive the pun – pet project.

“It was all these activities at Sun-N-Fun and the great social life they provide that first attracted Jim and me. But it was the people-the Residents and the Team-that really did it for us. We just loved them right away.”

Now, Elly spends the months she isn’t at Sun-N-Fun visiting friends she’s made here. “I’ve been to California, Canada, New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The friends I’ve made are just like family.”

That proved particularly true when Elly’s beloved husband passed away two years ago. “I just received all this love and support from friends and the Sun-N-Fun Team. That’s when I knew I belonged at Sun-N-Fun RV Resort!”

Meet Don and Dee Dammann

Like Elly, the Dammanns have never been busier. They became RVers in 2002 when Don retired from his job with the railroad in Texas. One of their first trips was to Sarasota to visit Don’s brother. They stayed at Sun-N-Fun for a week and enjoyed themselves so much they came back for a month, then three, then five. Finally convinced that they had found the place they wanted to be, they bought a vaction home. Now they split their time between Sun-N-Fun and a summer home in North Carolina.

What sold them on life here are the amenities. Dee loves to swim and has spent a lot of time in the water. “I’ve swum in a lot of pools, and the pool here is just top-notch,” she says. “And now that all this work has been done it’s better than ever. They’re constantly upgrading things to keep the Resort in great shape. Every year when we return there are new improvements.”

Don enjoys singing and is part of the 80-voice Sun-N-Fun chorus. He also enjoys tinkering around the house and often borrows tools from the wood shop when he has a project. Don also spends time with a neighbor with health issues. It’s just one of the ways the Dammanns are involved with the community.

“We’ve both lost spouses to cancer and Don is a five year survivor, so it’s important to us to participate in things like the cancer walk. I was also part of a group that swam laps to raise money,” Dee explains.

They also keep busy with friends. “We have a standing date for miniature golf every week. About 40 to 50 people participate. Everyone puts 50 cents into the pot, which the male and female winners split.” And there are card games, potluck dinners and get-togethers with friends.

Dee is also part of one of Sun-N-Fun’s 13 Red Hat clubs, a women’s group that gets together to attend the theater, zoo or go out to eat. “We’re all about having fun,” Dee says.

Sounds as if fun is the operative word for both Elly and the Dammanns.