This morning, August 30, 2026, I am in Zurich, Switzerland, enjoying the view from my home out over the city and into the mountains. The sky is blue, the temperature is in the high 50s, and it is a welcome break from the heat back home in Central Florida.
Two thirds of 2026 are now in the rearview mirror, and they have brought Avalon Park Group a great deal of new and exciting developments.
As reported in our last edition of the Sun, we are working on a 250-acre regional park just south of Avalon Park Orlando, an APG-financed project for the entire region. Our goal is to secure the land before year end, begin planning in early 2027, and start construction on the fields by the middle of 2027. A project of this scale requires the cooperation of various government entities, primarily the state-governed landowners. It will be a game changer for East Orange County and beyond. In meetings with officials over the past several months, every local and state politician I spoke with welcomed and supported this initiative.
While in Zurich, I am spending time with my father, who will soon turn 89. He is a happy senior in good physical health, still able to live on his own thanks to the wonderful care of my sister and brother. He is, however, living with memory loss. That is one of the reasons I accepted the role of Chair of the Alzheimer’s Walk in 2027, and why I recently joined the board of the Alzheimer’s Association. As many of us know, Alzheimer’s is a widespread disease with no cure available yet. On October 3, 2026, the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place at Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando, and I would like to personally invite you to join us. It is our goal at APG to field the largest team at this year’s walk and to show just how much the Avalon Park community cares about this cause. On a proud note: Encore, our Assisted Living and Memory Care community in Avalon Park, was just voted the Best Assisted Living Facility in Florida.
The political season continues as well. APG supports, by and large, candidates who make smart growth, a more diversified economy, and affordable housing a priority. This cycle, we contributed to 21 candidates across four counties, the state, and a few cities. Two won outright, seven are heading to a runoff, and nine are leading in races with no primary. In total, 18 of the 21 candidates we have supported are on track to win or have already won. That is a wonderful result. Unfortunately, roughly 75 percent of all eligible voters did not cast a ballot, which is not a good result at all. Look for the updated Voter Guide in our October edition, where the Sun will provide a non-partisan snapshot of the candidates and ballot measures that are on the ballot in our region. I encourage you to get involved, research what is on the ballot and most importantly, VOTE!
APG has organized events in Central Florida for over 25 years, and this has been an important element in creating a sense of place and belonging in Avalon Park. We are excited to build on that tradition and to continue our work of placemaking for years to come. It is in that spirit that APG has become a co-owner of Memoir Agency, an events and experiential design company that is the owner and organizer of Dazzling Nights at Leu Gardens, which welcomed more than 100,000 ticketed guests in 2026. Memoir specializes in creating immersive, large-scale experiences that bring people together, and this new APG becoming a co-owner will allow us to do even more of what we love. Working alongside our events department, under the leadership of Stephanie Lerret (who will join the Board of Directors of Memoir alongside JJ Sofarelli of APG), the Memoir team will help us enhance the events our residents already enjoy, add new events across our existing and developing Avalon Park communities, and expand the footprint of the wonderfully creative Dazzling Nights design to new audiences across Florida and beyond. (See page one of this edition.)
So as the year moves into its final stretch, I hope you will join us. Show up, get involved, and help us make this community all that it can be.
See you soon back in the “Bubble.” (The endearing nickname for the Avalon Park Orlando area)
