Sometimes, connections that began online have an important impact on real life. Vanleigh owners Tia and Lisa are both members of the same Facebook group and ended up running into each other at the same RV park. They then went on to bond over a fundraising event to benefit MD Anderson Cancer Research.
Tia Nelson
“I met Lisa online on the VanLeigh Adventures Facebook group last March 2021. Another Vanleigh owner had posted an inquiry about the best RV park in Phoenix, AZ, and I responded with information about our park. Lisa asked some questions about our park on that thread as well.
“When we returned to our park this October, I saw that there was a Vilano in Canyon Vista’s neighborhood. I live in the attached neighborhood, Superstition Views. I posted on our resort Facebook page that I spotted a Vilano in the park with MN plates and that we were their neighbors. Lisa responded, “I think that is us!!!!” We made a plan to get together for a visit the following week.
“We have a Pinecrest and live in it 6 months of the year, partly in WA state, and then travel in it Spring/Fall. During the winter months, it is parked at our casita on our attached RV pad, and the fifth wheel becomes our guest quarters. This is our fourth season in the park. In the Superstition Views side, you purchase the casita itself but pay a monthly amenity fee.
“I think that the fundraising for MD Anderson Cancer Research has gone on at least five years at our resort. There are two sides to our resort, and they are referred to as two neighborhoods but one community. It is a Cal-Am Resort, and one neighborhood is the Canyon Vista’s RV Resort with about 638 park model and RV sites. The other neighborhood is Superstition Views, and it has approximately 160 stucco casitas, many fashioned as RV port homes, with a smaller footprint homes, carport or garage, and/or a RV pad with 50A service, water and sewer.
“All amenities from both neighborhoods are shared in common, and there is a great sense of community overall. We all enjoy a beautifully kept resort with about 80 different activities, classes, groups and clubs you can participate in. There are an additional 30 different special activities offered during the Winter season.
“COVID made any fundraising impossible last year, so the residents were more than ready to resume our normal activities. The 2019-2020 fundraising in the two neighborhoods was approximately $50K. A couple of other Cal-Am parks will often add their donations to ours, and our final total was higher still. I put a note in to our resident fundraising coordinator to get the number of years our resort has participated in fundraising and what our 2019-2020 total was. MD Anderson covers all administrative costs, so every dollar we raise does go directly to cancer research.
“Regarding the Winter Walk of Lights/Cupid’s Wine Walk, some neighbors band together to host at their sites. Dave and I hosted a stop in December 2019. This December’s event had 17 host sites in total, and 540 wrist bands at $10 each were sold…
“The park has several residents who fashioned their own band a couple of years ago. They called themselves the 8th Street Band, but, for whatever reason, this year they were on the deck of a park model on 4th Street!”
Lisa Campbell
“Jim and I we be full-time rv’ers for three years in May. We have a 2020 Vilano 385RD that we absolutely love and, after selling our home, has been such a blessing to have. We’re from Minnesota and spend our summers back home with our children and grandchildren and travel during the winter. We spent the last two winters in the north Georgia mountains and decided to try a different location, bringing me to meeting Tia online and picking her brain about this beautiful RV resort we now call home.
“This community has a daily email that includes all class schedules and happenings at the resort. When I saw the announcement for the wine walk, I had several reasons for wanting to participate. The first for me is the cause itself. I lost my stepfather six years ago to lung cancer, and he was only 55 years old. I was told the money raised goes towards research and could benefit many different types of cancer. The second reason is because I love wine, and the third was because I thought it would be a great way to meet new people since we are the new kids on the block around here.”
Have you joined a Vanleigh owner Facebook group? There are many great ones in addition to VanLeigh Adventures, including Vanleigh RV Owners Group, Vanleigh RV Owners Cooking And Recipe Group, and our very own Vanleigh Owners Rally. If you’re interested in attending a Vanleigh owners rally, you’ll want to be in this last group!
Edited for clarity.