Fleetwood Motorhome Association, Inc. News

2026 FMA Friends First Rally

Al Venditti — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:27:31 GMT

The National 20th Annual Friends First Rally has come to a close.

It was great catching up with old friends and meeting new ones!

We want to take this time and thank the Fleetwood REV mobile service/maintenance teams, all of the vendors, Le Mesa RV, Live Fire Chef & staff, and Clerbrook Golf and RV Resort for their support and hospitality.

In addition, we want to give a big thanks to all those that participated, the member volunteers, and those who worked this year's rally!

We all look forward to see everyone again at the next rally!

Until our paths cross again, safe travels and enjoy the ride!

2026 FMA Friends First Rally Commemorative Shirts

Al Venditti — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:40:16 GMT

Order your 2026 Commemorative Rally T-Shirts now!

This is a Pre-Order for our 2026, 20th Annual Friends First Rally at Clerbrook Golf and RV Resort. All T-Shirts will be "print to order" and available for PICKUP AT THE RALLY ONLY. Multiple shirts and sizes can be ordered.

The deadline for ordering commemorative rally t-shirt(s) is November 15, 2025. There is no extra charge for larger sizes and shirts are made from a ring spun cotton blend.

The t-shirts are priced for PICKUP AT THE RALLY ONLY.

After November 15, 2025 all sales are final and non-refundable.

2025 FMA Sam Whitaker Scholarship Recipients

Al Venditti — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 17:06:03 GMT

We are proud to announce this years $500 Fleetwood Motorhome Association Scholarship recipients. Breanna Feasel, Rhyanne Beldauf, and Aaliyah Faurote are the grant recipients of your 2025 FMA Sam Whitaker Scholarship Fund.

"This year's awardees of the FMA Sam Whitaker Scholarship are simply outstanding. One plans to study to be a radiologist. Another an ultrasound technician. And the third wants to start a business to uplift the community. All Three aspire to make a difference in a lot of people's lives. It is a privilege that we get to be a small part of encouraging them as they get started. Their parents beamed knowing that we were behind them . Thanks to all who gave and made this happen." J. Sorensen

FMA President - John Sorensen, Fleetwood Family HR Manager - Huyjohn Quach, and Fleetwood General Manager - Jeff Bigelow along with this year's Scholarship recipients and their family.

The FMA scholarship is given in honor of our Founder, Sam Whitaker. It is open to children and grandchildren of non-management Fleetwood Motorhome employees.

Congratulations again to Breanna, Rhyanne, and Aaliyah! Also, Thanks to the members of the FMA organization for your donations in making this these scholarships and event happen.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" - Winston Churchill

20th Annual Friends First Rally - Clerbrook Golf and RV Resort

Al Venditti — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:22:54 GMT

All,

We are excited about our new 20th Annual Friends First Rally at Clerbrook RV and Golf Resort. New location, better sites, and more amenities.

We are now 5-months out and sites are filling fast. The 20th Annual Friends First FMA Rally is limited to the first 150 coaches and a standby list will go into effect once the limit has been reached. If your not registered yet and would like to attend, sign up before all the sites are filled.

Sign-up for the Rally is located under the "EVENTS TAB" on the FMA website. Available payment options are as followed: Pay in full at the time of registration or select the "Invoice Me" option to make a deposit to secure your site at the Rally. Deposit option is located in the tab called "RALLY STORE" on the website (minimum of $100 deposit is required to secure a site at the Rally).

We look forward to seeing you at our next gathering!!!

Your FMA Board!

Pete Baker Memorial Service

Al Venditti — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 21:48:34 GMT

FMA Family,

UPDATE:

Pete Baker's Memorial Service will be on Monday 4 August 2025 at Idlewild Baptist Church. Visitation at 2pm and service at 3pm.

Address:

Idlewild Baptist Church
18333 Exciting Idlewood Blvd
Lutz, FL 33548

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the Feeding Tampa Bay Organization.

Website:
https://feedingtampabay.org/

If Donating, go the website, click the "Donate" in the yellow menu bar, then follow directions.

Sad News: Pete Baker has Passed Away

Al Venditti — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 19:46:01 GMT

Dear FMA Family,

It is with a heavy heart to announce that on Friday evening, July 25^th, 2025, we lost Pete Baker to his battle against cancer. Roughly 7-years ago Pete joined the FMA family, and it didn’t take long for him to become very involved. When a plea went out for someone to take the role of Webmaster: Pete was the first to step forward. When I think of Pete, this is typical of his behavior, a task needs to be done, let’s get it done.

Under his leadership our website became much more active. He activated features we previously never utilized, including his automation of the Rally Registrations. This is the way many folks first encountered Pete. For most folks, once they met Pete his intense attention made you think you were his best friend and center of his focus. What a wonderful trait!

29-months ago, Pete was diagnosed with Non-Operational Brain Cancer. While the outlook for recovery is not good in situations like his, this never was Pete's attitude. Until the last days he fought the best fight he could.

Supported by his loving wife Marie, and hundreds if not thousands of prayer warriors, Pete held strong. With his passing we ask everyone to pray for his eternal soul and for strength for Marie as she lost her best friend, partner, and the love of her life.

As arrangements become known we will pass the information along to everyone.

I thank all who have prayed and continue to pray for Pete and Marie.

Bill Johnson

FMA Past President

2026 FMA Friends First Rally

Al Venditti — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:30:57 GMT

All,

The 2026, 20th Annual Friends First Rally will be held at Clerbrook Golf & RV Resort in Clermont, Florida. We have secured 150 full hook-up RV sites with the ability to request additional days before and after the rally at the discounted price of $45/night.

Rally registration is now open and available under the "Events" menu tab. Sites are starting to fill up, once we have reached reserved site cap, new registrants wanting to attend will be placed on a stand-by list.

See event for more details or email your FMA Board for any information about the rally.

We are all looking forward to seeing you at the next rally.

2025 Rally Program

John Sorensen — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 18:41:58 GMT

Hi all,

We look forward to seeing you soon at our 2025 Friends First Rally in Eustis, FL! Here is a preview copy of the schedule.

See you soon!

John

2025 FMA Program.pdf

2024 FMA Scholarship Award

Pete & Marie Baker — Tue, 14 May 2024 18:52:59 GMT

We are proud to announce this years $500 Fleetwood Motorhome Association Scholarship recipient. Isabelle Ortiz is the grant recipient of your 2024 FMA Sam Whitaker Scholarship Fund.

Isabelle is a graduate of Belmont High School in Decatur, IN and plans to further her education by applying to attend Purdue or Indiana State University.

We wish her well and hope the extra funds get her started on her chosen career path.

Isabelle and her family, shown with FMA President John Sorensen at the Fleetwood factory headquarters.

[The FMA scholarship is given in honor of our Founder, Sam Whitaker. It is open to children and grandchildren of non-management Fleetwood Motorhome employees.

Congratulations Isabelle, you are the first of many recipients.

Website Updates

Pete & Marie Baker — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 20:40:02 GMT

Hello Everyone,

Over the next few months you may notice some changes and updates intended to improve your use of your website.

Added in 2023:

A way to pay a $100 deposit in our new Rally Store. (Rally T-Shirts coming soon)

The Organization voted to add a Scholarship fund geared toward children of Fleetwood employees attending Technical Schools. Your donation support will be added on top of the allocated $500/yr grant.

We are in process of adding more content in the Members Only areas such as new discounts and updated Educational Training materials from the manufacturers of your key Fleetwood RV components.

If you have suggestions for improvement or can't find something we moved, please feel free to contact the webmaster at PBaker@FMA4fun.org

As always, Thank you for your continued support!

2021 Eastern Rally - A First-TImer's Perspective

Pete & Marie Baker — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 01:50:35 GMT

Food, Fun, and Fellowship - Seffner, FL
by John Sorensen, FMA Board of Directors / Secretary

This year, my wife Ann and I attended our very first Fleetwood Motorhome Association (FMA) rally. The 2021 15th Annual Friends First National FMA Rally was held January 19th through the 24th at Lazydays RV Resort in Seffner, FL. Of the over 200 that attended, 55 were in our same category, "First-timers." As such, we were not quite sure what to expect, especially with all the uncertainty of travel this year.

The week turned out to be nothing short of amazing. I had the privilege of leading the First-Timers session (a bit daunting as a first-timer myself). In preparation, Marilyn Murphy shared with me her notes from the prior year. Highlighted prominently were the words, "Food, Fun, and Fellowship!" I said the words to the new group with a bit of faith. In the end, Marilyn was spot on. The days were filled with great food, fun entertainment, and wonderful fellowship.

Bill Johnson, FMA's President, and his team that planned the event, showed great wisdom in the preparations. Due to the pandemic, our meals were eaten outside, under a big tent, offering plenty of fresh air. The inside sessions were mask-mandatory and spread out, offering plenty of social distance. But the distance did not hamper the enthusiasm of those there.

We enjoyed outstanding evening entertainment from the likes of Krossing Jordan, Kim and the Kadillacs, and Kenny Evans. Other nights offered bingo and a movie night. There were tours to General RV, the Port Tampa Bay Educational Harbor, and Busch Gardens.

We were certainly blessed by Rick Horther and his Fleetwood Rally Service team. They offered high end service to all Fleetwood and American Coaches that attended. Thank you Fleetwood RV/REV. You all are truly amazing! And thank you to Nick Abelseth and the Firefly team who offered information and service as well.

What surprised us the most was the vast wealth of information to help us care for our coach and get the most out of it over the coming years. Fellow FMA-ers were quick to offer advice and tips. The days were packed with sessions from vendors and fellow members on a wide arrays of topics like fire safety (Proteng), tire safety (RettroBand), Firefly Innovations, AquaHot, cooking with your convection/microwave oven, furnace maintenance, jack maintenance, and a fire-side chat with Freightliner.

Thanks go to each one that worked so hard to make this year's rally such a success!
* Bill and Laura Johnson—for putting together such an incredible event, planning the seminars, and stepping in to teach the session on Boondocking/Conservation
* Terry North—for arranging the optional activities
* Larry and Mary Ellen Hornsby—for arranging the door prizes, entertainment, flea-market, and serving as the Master of Ceremonies
* Ken Browning—for arranging and managing the terrific food and service
* Jerry Mask—for stepping up to lead the golf outing when Mark was unable to come
* Shelly Goltara and Johnny Spacek—for arranging the Meet and Greet, bingo, and helping the many new members get registered
* Bob Angus—for stepping in at the last minute to teach the AquaHot seminar, coordinating the General RV Luncheon, and arranging the great discount on filters from the local Kenworth dealer
* Channing Boyd, Brooke Daley, and Rebecca Proper of the LazyDays staff, who were invaluable in their efforts to make this a great rally
* Last but certainly not least is Chef Max who provided us with great meals, and a wonderful seminar on using the convection microwave.

Bill Johnson told me that if we came to the event, we would likely leave with some new, and potential life-long friends. He could not have been more right!

Plans are being made for next year's rally and will be made available soon via the website (fma4fun.org). Register early to guarantee a space.

If you've never attended a FMA rally, I certainly commend it to you. And can say with confidence that you'll enjoy "Food, Fun, and Fellowship!"

Fleetwood Motorhome Association, Inc. News

2026 FMA Friends First Rally

2026 FMA Friends First Rally Commemorative Shirts

2025 FMA Sam Whitaker Scholarship Recipients

20th Annual Friends First Rally - Clerbrook Golf and RV Resort

Pete Baker Memorial Service

Sad News: Pete Baker has Passed Away

2026 FMA Friends First Rally

2025 Rally Program

2024 FMA Scholarship Award

Website Updates

2021 Eastern Rally - A First-TImer's Perspective

Food, Fun, and Fellowship - Seffner, FLby John Sorensen, FMA Board of Directors / Secretary

Food, Fun, and Fellowship - Seffner, FL
by John Sorensen, FMA Board of Directors / Secretary