When Del Webb conceived the idea for Sun City, it was to be a retirement community run by its residents.  Its success from opening day in 1960 made quite an impression on the state’s politicians.  As a result, when Del Webb Corporation asked for anything, the request received an immediate and generally favorable reception.  As Sun City grew from a few thousand to well over 40,000 by the late 1970’s, Del Webb’s prestige and clout increased.  Then in 1977, with Sun City built out, the builder turned his eyes westward, and left Sun City pretty much on its own.

Meanwhile in those 17 years, the composition of the population had changed.  Minimum age had risen from 50 to 55.  The original residents, who came here with enthusiasm for a new adventure and a willingness to pitch in when necessary, had lost none of their love of community.  But their energy, and sometimes their health, was flagging.  Newer residents came to Sun City attracted by the amenities that the Recreation Centers maintained in fine working order. 

They heard of Sun City only by word of mouth; there was no national advertising and no organization in existence to handle it.  Yet newer and fresher retirement facilities were under construction wherever the weather was warm.  And those surrounding Sun City were steadily diluting the clout that it once had in state and county affairs. Who could take care of our community’s needs outside its walls?  The work of the Rec Centers had to be devoted to the properties it owned and managed, for which we all pay an annual fee.  SCHOA was busy keeping the residential neighborhoods attractive and in working order.  The Sun City Posse – the local arm of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office – was keeping the community safe.  The Sun City PRIDES, those workers in orange jackets, were conscientiously keeping the medians of Sun City thoroughfares free of fallen fruit and the unfortunate evidence of a throw-away society.  Dozens of groups of dedicated volunteers were – and still are – taking care of the personal needs of Sun Citians with medical and spiritual assistance.

Yet no one was looking beyond our walls. 

Then, in the late 1980’s local businessmen, worried over an increasing number of unsold houses on the market and their business eroded by new malls, proposed formation of a group to act as a chamber of commerce to promote Sun City.  Thus was born the Sun City Ambassadors, with a board made up of both residents and businessmen, and a Visitors Center run almost entirely by volunteers. 

At about the same time Sun City Area Transit (SCAT) emerged as a solution to the needs of elderly residents no longer able to drive their cars safely.  And the Sun City Taxpayers Association was founded to preserve the tax advantages Sun City had been granted in its formative years. 

To be the needed link with the rest of the Valley, the Sun City Home Owners Association was in the best position.  It had established contacts in the departments of county and state government that can address the needs of our community.  Because of the size of its membership, it can be a more effective voice than individual homeowners.  And it was – and is – an organization willing to accept the responsibility.