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STATE OF THE PHLOCK 2010
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" So
said Charles Dickens and so it was with the year 2009 around the
ParrotHead Nation. In the
face of what's been called the worst economy since the Great Depression,
many of our respected leaders and members found themselves out of work
through no fault of their own. Imagine how difficult it must be to embrace
the concept of helping others when you're desperately trying to keep your
own world from tumbling down.
Nevertheless, in true Parrot Head fashion, chapters around the world made
significant contributions to the welfare of the environment, their
community and to their fellow man and they had a BLAST while doing so!
Meeting of the Minds was an unqualified success with appearances by Little
Feat and Club Trini, among others, and our visitors truly did “Party
with a Purpose!Some 200+ Parrot Heads participated in the Zonta Walk with
Team ParrotHead raising approximately $22,000, more than half of the event
total. Parrot Heads also contributed to Wesley House Family Services, the
KW Police Athletic League and the Florida Keys SPCA to the tune of more
than $20,000 while simultaneously donating an entire van load of toys to
the Salvation Army for their annual holiday toy drive. In a truly
humanitarian effort, Parrot Heads also donated some 75 pints of blood to
the Community Blood Center of South Florida in what has become the local
blood banks largest blood drive of the year. Not to be outdone, the
Margaritaville-sponsored Class Clown Contest raised approximately $10,000
which was gifted to the Boys & Girls Club, the Florida Keys Children's
Shelter, WomanKind and Heron-Peacock Supported Living.
In what has become the norm, the "ParrotHead Nation" continued to grow and
prosper as we added a total of eleven new chapters to our ranks. What
began with the Atlanta Parrot Head Club 20 years ago has grown
exponentially as we ended 2009 with an all-time high of 237 chapters in
the United States,Canada and Australia ... 3 different countries, 47
states, 3 Canadian provinces and one U.S. Territory. Our total membership
showed another increase with almost 27,000
dedicated, fun-loving Parrot Heads amongst the ranks. Again, it's apparent
that the "ParrotHead Nation" is not only alive and well, but continues to
thrive.
Now, for the big news ... Even in the face of an economic downturn, Parrot
Head Clubs collectively raised for and/or donated approximately $2.8
million to charitable organizations in 2009. Equally significant, Parrot
Heads carried on the tradition of volunteerism as 2009 saw chapters
worldwide donate an estimated 180,000 man-hours to philanthropic and
environmental activities. The upshot¦ In the period 2002 - 2009, Parrot
Head Clubs have collectively contributed more than $19.2 million and
approximately 2.3 million man-hours to aid our communities, our
environment and our fellow man!
The PHiP commitment to education was bolstered on two fronts as we were
recognized by the Jimmy Buffett's alma mater, the University of Southern
Mississippi , for our continued and generous endowment of the Mary Loraine
"Peets" Buffett Memorial Scholarship awarded annually by the USM Alumni
Assoc. And, after years on the drawing board,
the PHiP scholarship program came to fruition with the committee
evaluating some 60 applicants before awarding the first scholarships to 3
worthy candidates.
In 2009, PHiP retained its National Status with both the American Cancer
Society™s Relay For Life campaign and the Alzheimer's Association's Memory
Walk program and Parrot Heads continue to be the single largest supporter
of the Zonta Club of Key West with contributions made during Meeting of
the Minds. For many of our chapters, Special Olympics is a favored cause
while many Clubs prepare & serve a monthly meal to their local Ronald
McDonald Houses.
And, there's more to the story! These numbers, while spectacular, do not
include those efforts which are not measured by dollars or man-hours and
Parrot Heads never cease to amaze in their creativity:
Parrot Heads Collect Things ... canned goods, pet supplies, clothing, pop
tops, old cell phones, used ink cartridges, and, of course, toys; all
distributed to the appropriate agencies that get the goods to where they
do the most good. OH, and let's not forget the trash ... Virtually every
Club works diligently to keep our nation's beaches, lakes, and highways
clean with regular trash collection sessions.
Parrot Heads Compete ... Many chapters sponsor Bowling tournaments,
Volleyball tournaments, Golf tournaments and even a Cornhole tournament.
Chili and gumbo cook-offs are also a favorite fundraiser for a number of
Clubs.
Parrot Heads March ... Most all Parrot Head Clubs build and enter a float
in their local community parades, be it Christmas, Easter, Independence
Day, St. Patrick's Day ... You name it; if there's a local parade, Parrot
Heads will be prancing and no less than two dozen chapters won awards in
2009 for Best of Show, Best Float, etc.
From Poker Runs & Pub Crawls to the dreaded Polar Plunge, the picture is
clear ... the good deeds that Parrot Heads perform for the benefit of the
community, the environment and our fellow man often cannot be measured in
quantitative terms, yet are so vital to the recipients and should be a
constant source of satisfaction to each of us.
In the annals of PHiP history, 2009 will be recorded as a good year … We
did, in fact, make a difference and we left this world a little better
than we found it. Along the way, we managed to have a lot of fun, we
cavorted with old friends, we made new friends and, sadly, we bid farewell
to far too many beloved friends.
So, to each and every one of you, a heartfelt THANK YOU for a job well
done! You truly are "Angels in Tropical Shirts" and you should be very
proud of yourselves and your accomplishments.
Spring is here, summer is nigh and the concert season is upon us ... Time
to do what we do best: Have fun and "Party with a Purpose!"
Till next time, may all your dreams be tropical!
Bob Heffelfinger
Director of Membership
Parrot Heads in Paradise, Inc. |
The next time
you are venturing around the state - doing a Florida Road Trip - Remember
to always check a sister club's web page when making your plans ... or at
least before departing, to find out if anything is "
