Visit Orlando CEO Gary Sain passed away on Friday night after giving a speech at a fundraiser. He was 61 years old.

You may not be familiar with his name, but Swain headed up the Orlando tourism board and was the man behind the popular “Orlando Makes Me Smile” campaign.

According to officials, Sain was one of the driving forces behind making Orlando the No. 1 family destination in the world since he took over the Orlando Tourism Bureau in 2007, renaming it Visit Orlando to help attract even more tourists.

Our condolences go out to the Sain family.

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About Michelle Snow

Michelle is the owner and editor of CitySurfing Orlando. She also owns Zengrrl.com, is a freelance writer specializing in travel and entertainment, and has authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. She lives in Orlando near Disney, and hears Magic Kingdom fireworks every night.

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