Carefree Communities Raises Funds For Veterans
The fifth annual Carefree’s Got Talent competition finale raised $33,243 to support Disabled American Veterans (DAV). The March 29 event drew nearly 1,800 Carefree Community residents to the Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Florida.
In the past three years, Carefree Communities Inc. has worked with DAV to raise $100,000 in cash and in-kind donations for the organization, which provides support for military veterans and their families.
A few days before the competition, it was announced that Sun Communities Inc. had agreed on a $1.68 billion deal to acquire Carefree, owner of more than 100 RV parks and senior manufactured-home communities. According to reports, the deal is expected to close no later than July 9, 2016.
National Park Service Commemoratives
Limited-edition coins honoring the National Park Service centennial are available for purchase online at www.catalog.usmint.gov/coins/commemoratives. The coins also will be sold this year at participating park locations. Prices range from $20.95 for an uncirculated clad half dollar to $466.45 for a three-coin proof set that includes a $5 gold coin, a silver dollar, and a half dollar. Money raised from the sale of the coins will help support park programs.
In addition, the U.S. Postal Service will celebrate the park service’s centennial by issuing 16 new Forever stamps featuring national parks. A first-day-of-issue ceremony is set for June 2 in New York City, and dedication ceremonies also will take place at or near each of the national parks depicted on the stamps.
Two RV Industry Figures Pass Away
Two people who made an impact on the RV industry died recently.
Allen “Al” Yoder Jr., the president of Jayco Inc. from 1985 until his retirement in 1993, died April 19, 2016. The Middlebury, Indiana, resident was 88.
Mr. Yoder chaired the board of directors of Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) in 1989 and 1990. In 1986 he received RVIA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service to the RV Industry Award. He also received the RVIA Special Award in 1993.
Before joining Jayco in 1969, Mr. Yoder attended Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio, and farmed for a number of years. He became Jayco’s president after cofounder and chief executive Lloyd Bontrager died in an airplane crash. Mr. Yoder also served on numerous boards of directors.
He was a founder of Deutsch Kase Haus, a cheese factory in Middlebury, Indiana, and served as its president for many years.
He is survived by his wife, Marie; four children; 13 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a brother.
Dorthy “Dot” Scheide Corson, wife of Coachmen Industries Inc. cofounder Thomas H. Corson, died April 19, 2016. The Naples, Florida, resident was 88.
Mrs. Corson was known as the “first lady” of Coachmen. She worked alongside her husband and his two brothers in founding Coachmen Industries Inc. in 1964. She served on the RV company’s board of directors for 27 years. During that time, she was a tireless company ambassador with its dealers, investors, and the community. Mrs. Corson also devoted herself to numerous charitable organizations.
The Corsons were married for 67 years. She is survived by her husband, Tom; two children; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Charitable Fund Surpasses $1 Million In Giving
The Enander Family Foundation Fund, a legacy of Aqua-Hot Heating Systems founder Harold “Hap” Enander, recently topped the $1 million mark in giving. The foundation reached the milestone with a $5,000 grant to a small start-up ministry in Michigan.
Mr. Enander, who died in 2009, was a pioneer in hydronic heating. Aqua-Hot produces such systems for RVs, trucks, buses, and other vehicles. Mr. Enander transferred full ownership of the business to the Enander Family Foundation.
He and his wife, Sue, were committed to improving the lives of young adults through the fostering of their Christian beliefs and practices. His service to others included volunteer work in the local community and mission work in Haiti.
For more information about Aqua-Hot, visit www.aquahot.com or call (800) 685-4298 or (303) 651-5500.
Forecast: Summer Gas Prices Will Remain Low
Drivers will pay an average of $2.04 per gallon for regular gasoline during summer 2016, according to a forecast from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The forecast price for summer 2016, which covers the period from April through September, is 59 cents per gallon lower than the average price in summer 2015, and it would be the lowest average summer price since 2004. Monthly average gasoline prices are expected to increase to $2.08 per gallon in June 2016, and then fall to $1.93 per gallon in September 2016, according to EIA’s Short-Term Energy and Summer Fuels Outlook.
Park Rx Day Touts Nature’s Health Benefits
Many medical experts recognize that nature helps heal the human body by serving as an antidote to ailments that include obesity, heart disease, and depression. To encourage people to use parks to gain benefits from nature’s healing properties, the first National Park Rx Day was held April 24, 2016, at 40 sites across the United States. The day, a part of National Park Week, included guided walks, yoga, wildlife tours, bike rides, and free public health screenings.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, who attended a Park Rx Day in Washington, D.C., said an average of 22 minutes a day of physical activity, such as brisk walking in a park, can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Carefree Communities Raises Funds For Veterans
The fifth annual Carefree’s Got Talent competition finale raised $33,243 to support Disabled American Veterans (DAV).