The 2025 Sand Dollar Awards honored Ave Maria and its developer, Barron Collier Companies, with multiple awards. This year, the awards included Best Overall Campaign by a Developer/Community, Best Special Event for the Shamrock Festival and Community of the Year (under $500,000 category). The awards are presented each year by the Collier Building Industry Association.
The Best Overall Campaign award was granted to Ave Maria’s “Real Stories from a Big Kind of Small Town,” which emphasized the community and the people who truly live in it. Real Ave Maria residents were featured in print, digital, TV and radio commercials as well as organic social media posts.
“The ‘Real Stories’ campaign allowed residents the opportunity to voice their delight about discovering the unexpected affordability and lifestyle in our community,” said Michelle Mambuca, marketing and public relations manager for Barron Collier Companies. “We won best overall campaign, which is really special because we highlighted a diverse group of resident stories, including their lives in Ave Maria and why they chose the community to be their home.”
Mambuca explained the process behind creating the campaign. For her, it comes back to the residents…