Founded in 1994, the Parrot Head Club of Richmond is one of more than 200 clubs around the U. S plus international clubs in Canada, Australia, the Caribbean, and Europe that make up Parrot Heads In Paradise, Inc. While our volunteer service may find us supporting such worthy causes as the Alzheimer's Association, American Red Cross, Central Virginia Food Bank, Richmond SPCA, and the American Cancer Society, to name a few, we strive to remember that Jimmy Buffett's words and music are the common thread that draws and holds us together. PHIP proves that we can have fun, make lasting friendships, and leave the world a better place in which to live.
In 2006, PHIP chapters contributed over $2.6 million and 173,000 man hours to local and national charities!
What's a Parrot Head?
PHIP founder and past president Scott Nickerson says it best:
"Club members come from a variety of backgrounds. Most are professionals, with an average age range between the mid-twenties and mid-fifties. Although membership numbers vary greatly from club to club, from all accounts, our clubs have an average membership of 150. The real beauty of the clubs is that they seem to attract exactly the right kind of people - people who, through their attraction to Jimmy Buffett's music also have a number of other interests in common, most importantly the desire to give something back to the community in which they live."
Mission Statement
The Parrot Head Club of Richmond is a non-profit Virginia corporation whose goal is to assist in community and environmental concerns and provide a variety of social activities for people who are interested in the music of Jimmy Buffett and the tropical lifestyle he personifies. We are a chartered member of the international organization, Parrot Heads In Paradise, Inc., and as such we strive to "Party With A Purpose."
Now, come along, let's have some fun, the hard work has been done...
State of the Phlock - 2007
Welcome to 2007 and our annual "State of the Phlock" report.
The year 2006 marked the 15th Anniversary of our annual gathering known as Meeting of the Minds. What started as a group of five clubs and 80 attendees in December 1992, has grown to 216 Clubs and over 3500 dedicated Parrot Heads making the trek to Key West every November for four solid days of music and mirth, mischief and merriment, and above all, the friendship and camaraderie of kindred spirits from around the world.
In honor of our 15th anniversary, a special guest from Jimmy's past was on hand as the headliner. Mr. Packard himself, Jerry Jeff Walker & his band put on an electrifying show to a packed house in a driving rain. When the dust settled, our raffle and the charity auction were extremely successful, as were the annual blood drive and Toys For Tots campaign. PHiP was even named as the # 1 blood donor by the Monroe County Red Cross and we were also the recipient of the Hero's Award from the Save the Manatee Foundation in recognition of our years of support.
As always, we had a few chapters fall by the wayside, but we've also added several new chapters to the PHiP family already this year, with more on the horizon. At this writing, our organization stands at 216 chapters in the United States, Canada and Australia...3 different countries, 47 states, 3 Canadian provinces and one U.S. Territory. Our total membership remains steady with more than 25,000 dedicated, fun-loving Parrot Heads within the ranks. Again, it's apparent that the "Parrot Head Nation" is not only alive and well, but thriving.
Now, for the big news ... In 2006, Parrot Head clubs collectively raised for and/or donated to charitable organizations more than $2.6 million, bringing our five year total to more that $ 10.5 million! Additionally, 2006 saw chapters worldwide donate more than 173,000 man-hours to philanthropic and environmental activities, for a five year total of approximately 3,000,000 man-hours! In this day & time, it's easy to write a check for charity...People have more money than time, but in a five year span, Parrot Heads have collectively spent the equivalent of 125,000 24-hour days on charitable, social and environmental activities...and they've had a BLAST while doing it !!
One of the year's highlights was the 2nd Annual Camp Anaconda BuffettFest in Balad, Iraq organized by the PHINdy PHC and supported by Parrot Head Clubs worldwide. With the Air Force supplying the food, Parrot Heads collectively donated nearly $50,000 in decorations and merchandise to this combination phlocking/tailgate party, held on Labor Day as a tribute and a thank you to our troops stationed overseas.
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:
- The tons of canned goods collected and donated to local food banks across the country
- The hundreds of thousands of poptops collected for and turned into money by Ronald McDonald Houses throughout the land
- The thousands of new toys collected and donated to Toys For Tots to provide Christmas for underprivileged children who otherwise would have nothing
- The thousands of critical items donated to local animal shelters ... everything from food & blankets to old newspapers & leashes
- The hundreds of gallons of blood and plasma donated to save countless lives across this great nation
- The hundreds & hundreds of "care packages" sent to our soldiers in Iraq
I could go on and on, but 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.
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.
