Buttonwood Bay residents celebrate Christmas by giving and giving

At its best, Christmas has always been a tradeoff. We give, we get.

But this holiday is for Robert and Evelyn Blow. It's their first away from their two daughters and four grandsons.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know if I'm looking forward to it," Blow said from his motor home at Buttonwood Bay.

The Blows are from North Tonawanda, N.Y., a city of 30,000 that's actually north of Buffalo.

"It's one of the coldest places in America," Blow said. On Friday, as he spoke, the expected high was 29, the forecast low that night was 20.

"We get lake-effect snow," Blow explained. The Canadian cold fronts move across Lakes Ontario and Erie, pick up moisture, and drop it on the shores.

When before he retired as an engineer at Buffalo Airport, Blow, now 76, constructed and paved roads, and also removed snow all winter. For more than 30 years, Evelyn was a real estate agent.

Last Christmas, as they have for decades, their children and grandchildren would come over by 9 a.m., they'd open their presents, eat Christmas dinner, and wash the dishes. Then they'd split up: the daughters would pay homage to their in-laws; Robert and Evelyn would migrate to Florida for the winter.

This year, the Blows, a physically active couple who love golf and thrive in warm weather, came south early. They needed the Florida sun to warm their bones and brighten their spirits.

"We're more comfortable down here," Blow said. On an 80-degree day, they sit out the picnic table and sip tea. They love racing, so they'll go to Daytona, work at the track in February for the 24-hour race, and they'll probably volunteer on Bike Week as well.

This Christmas, the Blows have planned an even busier schedule at Buttonwood.

"It starts with Thanksgiving," Blow said. More than 200 people come to dinner at the community center, and the Christmas party may be even bigger.

Activities are one big reason why campers come to resorts.

In Naples, the KOA supplies turkey and ham for a Christmas Day potluck dinner. The park also hosts a campsite decorating contest.

At the Okeechobee KOA, the campsite decorating contest is judged on Dec. 20. There's a caroling party on Dec. 21, a Christmas Eve service, a pot luck Christmas dinner, and a New Year's ball.

At Buttonwood, says Bonnie Amidon, who chairs the Christmas Committee, there's a golf cart parade. Park members decorated two floats, and about 20 owners decked their sleigh rides with boughs of holly - or tinsel.

Hundreds of residents kept busy by raising money for charities.

At a Saturday ladies Christmas luncheon and a Sunday toys for boys party, more than 300 toys and $1,600 were collected for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, an Avon Park church, the Children's Mission and the Salvation Army.

Lorraine Lake collected about $700, which was used to purchase lap robes and a stuffed toy for the Kenilworth Nursing Home residents.

"We've done this for years and years," Lake said.

Jerry and Betty Bergadine accepted non-perishables for a Mission food drive. In March, as snowbirds fly back home, many will donate their leftover groceries for the same purpose.

"The economy is way down, but Buttonwood Bay folks exceeded their generosity for previous years," Amidon said.

Sometimes they don't even realize how bighearted they're being.

Couples have to be on the signup sheet for the Christmas dinner. Blow signed, and found out later he's volunteering.

Which is OK with Blow. "In order to make friends, you got you've got be a friend."

Evelyn loves cards, and before they moved, they checked.

"They have a big activity list," Blow said.

Of course, part of Christmas will also be spent on the cell phone, talking with the kids and the grandkids and Evelyn's family in Pennsylvania. After Christmas, Evelyn is heading over to Lakeland for post-holiday shopping with cousins.

"They make it easy to communicate," Blow said. "I don't know what we'd do if it wasn't for cell phones."

He used to be an aggressive skier. Will he miss the snow? Maybe not.

"I'm a hunter, and as long as I get in that first snowfall, in deer season, that will satisfy me."