Best of ORL 2025: Community, Home & Shopping Winner Spotlights
Take a closer look at this year's first place winners in the Community, Home and Shopping categories.
Winner: Boat Dealer | Boat Max Worldwide
According to the City of Orlando, there are more than 100 lakes in Orlando. With the oppressive summer temps raging down on us, there’s no better time to get out on the water and enjoy some breezy days. Boat Max Worldwide can help.
With more than 35 years in the marine industry, Boat Max is a trusted dealer for many Central Floridians. All of its staff are avid and experienced boaters, and have a complete understanding of the boating industry, tailoring that knowledge to help customers find exactly what they’re looking for in a boat. No matter if you’re into sports fishing, diving and snorkeling, waterskiing, recreational boating or cruising, Boat Max has a wide range of new, used, consigned boats and brokerage yachts, so look no further.
Says one Google review: “We cannot say enough amazing things about our experience buying a boat here. From their courtesy to impressive expertise, the staff at Boat Max Worldwide are outstanding! They cultivate positive relationships with their clients to ensure that not only your boat-buying experience is excellent, but your boat ownership is the best.”
Boat Max is an authorized dealer for Pioneer, NauticStar, Shearwater, Blackwood, EdgeWater, Xplor, Yamaha, Suzuki and Mercury, and averages a stock of about 45 boats at any given time.
Once you find that boat of your dreams, Boat Max is there to keep it in tip-top condition, whether it be regular maintenance, emergency repairs or even upgrades and customizations. It also carries the latest in accessories, such as sound systems, GPS, sonar, canvas covers, trolling motors and fishing supplies.
Winner: RV Dealer | Camping World
Camping World is your one-stop shop for all things RV. Its Kissimmee location has more than 175 campers on sale and has a large selection of travel trailers, toy haulers, motorhomes, fifth wheels, pop-up RVs and hybrid RVs from top brands such as Airstream, Jayco and Coachman.
The brand has been recognized as the No. 1 RV dealer in the nation by Statistical Survey, Inc. What started as a single store in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1966 has grown to an RV powerhouse with 205 locations across 44 states. Being the largest RV dealer in the country allows it to leverage its buying power to get you the best possible prices on any RV. It also helps with financing rates.
Once you purchase an RV from Camping World, you receive priority scheduling for any service or collision needs. In addition to on-site maintenance, Camping World keeps more than 10,000 RV parts and accessories on hand.
Camping World offers exclusive benefits and discounts to members of the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest RV membership organization with more than 2 million members. Those include emergency road service, specialized RV insurance, extended vehicle warranties, RV loans and more. Good Sam membership also offers a discount on fees at Good Sam RV park.
Workin’ it on the catwalk during Runway to Hope’s Spring Soiree; above: Mark NeJame co-founded the charity with his wife, Josie. ©Runway to Hope
Winner: Charity, Charity Gala | Runway to Hope
Frequently placing in this category in the past few years, Runway to Hope claims the top spot this year. The organization supports children and families in Central Florida who are battling pediatric cancer while seeking a cure.
Through relationships with children’s hospitals, Runway to Hope works with local businesses, corporations and philanthropists to raise money for awareness and bring new programs and initiatives to the pediatric cancer community.
Runway to Hope was founded in 2010 by Mark and Josie NeJame, who worked to bring new and innovative programs to the oncology programs of Orlando’s three children’s hospitals (Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, AdventHealth for Children and Nemours Children’s Hospital), streamline care and eliminate redundancies. In that time, the organization has encouraged those hospitals to work together, which now are united in the common cause of helping families combat pediatric cancer. Its signature event, the Spring Soiree, is the largest charity gala in Central Florida, pledging $4.3 million to expand oncology care at the hospitals.
The Spring Soiree hosts more than 150 children between the ages of 2-18 each year, giving them the chance to walk down a runway hand-in-hand with a local or national celebrity escort.
Need to get your home organized and under control? Here’s what Lisa Linn and her team at Bee Organized Orlando can do for you. ©Bee Organized Orlando
Winner: Home Organization | Bee Organized Orlando
Sometimes organizing your living space can get a little too overwhelming. Bee Organized Orlando can help you reduce your clutter and help you feel at peace.
In 2015, Bee Organized was founded by two friends from junior high school, who realized their passion for helping to simplify peoples’ lives. Their idea exploded and became a national franchise—today, Bee
Organized has its headquarters in Kansas City but has a presence in almost 40 markets. Lisa Linn is the owner of Bee Organized Orlando—she and her team of organization consultants pride themselves on patiently guiding you through the process of getting organized and implementing sustainable organization systems and processes throughout your home.
Bee Organized’s services fit into one of three categories: home organization, moving and life transitions and concierge services. In the first, Bee Organized’s team helps you regain control of your spaces and teaches you customized, life-altering habits.
Need help managing life’s ups and downs? That’s what Bee Organized’s second category is all about. Whether it’s a new baby, a new job, a move, marriage, divorce or even a death, the team will help during whatever phase of life you face, helping you let go of the stressors so you can focus on what matters most—yourself and your loved ones.
Got a to-do list that you just can’t deal with? Hand it over to Bee Organized and let them concentrate on errands and shopping, managing home projects and repairs, seasonal decorating and more.
It just goes to show that sometimes, the hive mind can be a good thing!
Winner: Women’s Clothing Store | Siegel’s
This beloved boutique has been a Winter Park mainstay for more than three decades. Robin and John Siegel are third-generation shop owners, keeping the Siegel clothing family’s tenets of providing customers with exceptional merchandise and service alive since its parent company was founded in 1889.
In its women’s department, Siegel’s features Florida sportswear, dresses and other apparel, shoes, jewelry and gifts. Its buyers shop all major markets to bring you the best selection of clothing for your lifestyle. One of its most popular dress brands is Celia B, full of brightly-colored statement pieces.
Siegel’s handbags will also announce your arrival with style. Spartina 449, for example, lets you show off your love of the Sunshine State in its Florida series, with numerous totes and crossbody bags (the design is also available as a beach towel). Kerri Rosenthal’s Imperfect Heart Tote in Sunshine Yellow is the perfect accessory for summer days and comes with a leather heart charm.
Another great service offered by Siegel’s is its full-service tailoring, ensuring that the piece that’s caught your eye fits exactly as it should.
Don’t forget to browse through Siegel’s gifts section, especially if you’re a local sports fan: you’ll find some great accessories to punch up your game-day outfits!
