The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) received $1 million to perpetually fund full scholarships to its annual national school.
The donation was provided by George O’Leary, a past member of the ARVC Board of Directors and longtime owner of award-winning ARVC member-parks Rincon Country East RV Resort and Rincon Country West RV Resort in Tucson, Arizona. The gift enables ARVC to fully fund scholarships to its national school.
ARVC President and CEO Paul Bambei commended O’Leary on his career and presence in the industry.
“George has experienced so much as a campground owner and has been sharing his expertise with members of this industry for decades,” Bambei said. “This gift is an exceptional extension of his generosity, and it will ensure that the education and experience of national school will be more accessible to those in our industry for years to come. This is a game changer for our industry and to say we are grateful is an understatement.”
Bambei announced O’Leary’s during the ARVC Awards of Excellence ceremony Nov. 11 at the Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo in Raleigh, North Carolina. He said the national school will be renamed and rebranded to honor O’Leary.
O’Leary said he gave the money to further educate the industry.
“From early on, I learned the importance of education in this industry and that is why I am doing what I am doing,” O’Leary said. “It is to ensure the future of our industry has the opportunity to get educated about the business. I am near the end of the trail now, and I have learned a lot along the way. I hope that what I am doing to help the [national] school will help young people on the road to success.”
O’Leary, who was born on a farm near the town of Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland, sailed from Ireland in 1956 and opened Rincon Country East RV Resort in November 1979. In 1983, he began a new venture which became the 1,100-site Rincon Country West RV Resort on Tucson’s southwest side. After more than four decades in the outdoor hospitality industry, O’Leary recently sold Rincon Country RV Resorts.
The next national school is scheduled for Feb. 20-24, 2022 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. O’Leary’s gift will begin funding scholarships for 2023. For more information about the event, or to apply for a scholarship, visit arvc.org/National-School- of-RV-Parks-and-Campground-Management.
