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“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 bank’s 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 Hefflefinger
Director of Membership
Parrot Heads in Paradise Inc.
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