Posted 12:25 pm Friday, July 30, 2010
Charity Unites Local Jimmy Buffett Fans
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By REBECCA HOEFFNER
Staff Writer
Jimmy Buffett's most devoted fans -- known as "Parrot Heads" for their Hawaiian garb and laid-back attitude -- recently have opened a chapter of their nonprofit social club in Tyler.
Staff Writer
Jimmy Buffett's most devoted fans -- known as "Parrot Heads" for their Hawaiian garb and laid-back attitude -- recently have opened a chapter of their nonprofit social club in Tyler.
The organization, known as Parrot Heads in Paradise, or PhiP, is a national club with more than 25,000 members worldwide, with 230 chapters in the U.S.
The local chapter, known as the Rose City Parrot Head Club in honor of Tyler's national reputation for its roses, opened in January of this year. The chapter already has raised more than $2,000 for local charities by partnering with restaurants such as T.G.I. Friday's, Shogun, Cimarron's, On the Border and Breakers. They held their most recent fundraiser at J.W. Finn's restaurant Thursday night.
The Parrot Heads' mission is to "party with a purpose," club vice president Susan Gillespie said. While they enjoy getting together and socializing, the main draw for most of the 190 chapter members is helping those in need.
"A group of friends who were Jimmy Buffett fans thought this might be something that the community would enjoy," Ms. Gillespie said.
At Thursday's fundraiser, the group was raising money and collecting school supplies for PATH's supply train. The restaurant agreed to contribute to the proceeds raised by the group, Ms. Gillespie said.
Fred Walsh, 58, and his wife Merri, 48, are two of the members who've been with the chapter the longest. The chapter got its start in January.
"We had been looking for a charity to help," Fred Walsh said. "This is a fun way to meet people and help others at the same time. And we love Jimmy Buffett."
Mrs. Walsh estimated that 50 people signed up for Parrot Heads the same night she and her husband joined. The number of people to join since the group's formation has been a surprise to the officers.
Only 45 members of the chapter were able to attend the annual Jimmy Buffett tailgating party and concert in Frisco earlier this year, Ms. Gillespie said.
"The concert sells out in a day," Ms. Gillespie said. "But next year, we'll be on the list of chapters and be contacted by Jimmy Buffett management before tickets are released to the general public."
The organization is focused on Breckenridge Village as their official charity for the first fiscal year but will contribute to others in the community as they see the need. Members also have volunteered with other organizations such as Feed America, Extreme Makeover, PATH and Susan B. Komen for the Cure. They also have events planned to aid other local charities as well as Gulf Coast relief effort in the wake of the recent oil disaster.
