The answer: Jimmy Buffett, Coral Reefer Band, the Eagles
The question: What is a Parrott Head?
By Arnie Sherr http://sherrent.info/AskArnie.php

Timothy B. Schmit, a one-time member of the Coral Reefer Band; now with the Eagles, at a Jimmy Buffett concert at the Timberwolf Amphitheater outside Cincinnati, Ohio coined those entitled “Parrot Heads” because they most always had attended Buffett concerts wearing Hawaiian shirts, flip-flops and board shorts, or grass skirts and coconut bras while drinking margaritas, and still do!.

Groups known as Parrott Heads Clubs, “Party with a Purpose”; diverse from their usual celebratory get-togethers like happy hours, Meeting of the Minds @ Key West they contribute to and participate in various charitable causes routinely/causes like Toys for Tots drive, blood drives, raffles, and other events to raise money. Parrott Heads organizations have raised serious monies for environmental causes, cancer and Alzheimer's research, the March of Dimes, and so very much more.

Today, June 7, 2008 in Palm Harbor, the Tampa Bay Area Parrott Heads http://finsup.com/ are playing out a fund raiser to benefit “The Save the Manatee Club”; just another of many causes worthy of personal human sacrifice through volunteerism.

Covering the event, as I did today with others from the Tampa Bay Informer, I am indeed impressed and encouraged to ask myself, “When last have I volunteered to participate physically in such a fund raiser?” Furthermore, what is a person’s make-up that brings out such admirable and giving expressions of humanism?

Up until December 06 and of the five years preceding, Parrott Heads have raised more than $10.5 Million from almost 1.8 Million Volunteer Hours. Bob Heffelfinger, Director of Membership for Parrot Heads (http://www.phip.com/State.asp) reports in 2207 the club count was 200+ and memberships exceeded 3500. Perusing the internet yields too huge the list of charitable causes to express herein, however these unique, and what are to most and especially to me, I am embarrassed to admit, relatively unknown givers of good are giving of themselves 24/7, if not physically then mentally. Through their generous efforts many causes from the most obscure to the most publicized of venues are able to foster results better than had not the Parrott Heads enhanced their respective financial resources.

Having said and given great tribute to America’s and the Tampa Bay Area Parrott Heads I must place special emphasis on a group, also well committed to humanitarian generosities. In an article written by me and published in the Tampa Bay Informer’s volume 5, issue 8, (June 2008) THOU PROTESTETH TOO MUCH, I gave special attention to a biker group famously recognized as the “Patriot Guard Riders.” Well, I am happy to allay the list of biker clubs whose agenda makes for all of us an America that is a better place in which to live is also worthy of mine and your adoration and gratitude for not only who they are, but for what they also donate of themselves to and for humanity.

The Italian Angels Motorcycle Brotherhood, Inc. is apart of the Florida Federation of Italian American Clubs, Inc., an organization made of over 50 clubs throughout the State of Florida. From their website (http://ffiac.com): The Federation was an idea started by a group of dedicated men. They shared a dream to enhance the Italian heritage and culture throughout the State of Florida. They held their first meeting in "Hank's Coffee Break Restaurant" in Vero Beach, Florida, in November of 1976. They contacted the Florida Chamber of Commerce for a list of known Italian clubs throughout the State. In turn, each club on the list was contacted and asked to join in this great dream.
The response was overwhelming and a meeting was held in Vero Beach, Florida, to discuss ideas and purpose with a future convention as the target. Through these efforts the first annual convention was held in Vero Beach. By the time the second convention was held, the organization boasted a membership of over twenty-one clubs, almost ten thousand individuals.
Governor Askew and the Mayor of Orlando proclaimed Italian-American Week at this convention. Meetings were to be held quarterly, with locations alternating among the membership clubs.

• To date there are fifty-six Italian-American Clubs that hold a membership in the Federation and it is still growing. Their Mission:
• To promote mutual aid, understanding, communication and education for the purpose of bettering the welfare of our member organizations.
• To uphold the dignity and ethics of the Italian heritage.
• To protect the interests of the members from adversaries, public or private.
• To establish, coordinate and sponsor activities which will aid the furtherance of the objectives of the Federation-create and promote the welfare of all Italian Americans.

Their Motto…

WHAT IS DONE IS DONE! WHAT WE DO, IS HOW WE WILL BE JUDGED, LET US UNITE!

Reporting of such events is for me an eye-opener. Via TV sets, from newspapers, and from that which I hear environmentally, awareness of these charitable events is apparent, but for me what has been amiss is the effort and dedication expended willfully by volunteers with such magnanimous character; they who stand at the booths barking out loudly “Have you tried our Italian Sausage”? “Hot Dogs - have tasty hot dog, and more.” Every breath, every word meant to raise monies for one or another worthy cause.

Today at the Parrott Heads event in Palm Harbor the Italian Angels Motorcycle Brotherhood was there enthusiastically presenting for charitable profits tasty Italian sausage sandwiches with roasted green peppers on warm sub roles and selling their own club tee shirts to benefit yet another charitable cause.

For me, and I submit most like me simply donate by buying the Italian sausage sandwich (yum-yum) and a tee shirt or as it has been my practice as I grow older and become less enticed to physical participation, if I ever was, I write a check and mark on the memo line “donation.”
Frankly, since wisdom - speaking for me - comes with age, I’ve never demonstrated voluntary expressions of charity as part of a group or team. For individuals in need I’ve definitely made many marks, however I am awed by the good that is shaped when such good is from the heartfully driven efforts of groups and/or organizations like the Italian Angels Motorcycle Brotherhood, the Italian-American Clubs, and the many Parrott Heads chapters; other charitable groups like them are a growing culture that is weaving goodness and greatness throughout America’s society. Many say, America’s government is broken; certainly the hearts of America are well and living on!

As the saying goes, “Not only is there safety in numbers; results are compounded by those numbers and accelerated by the contagion of passion and enthusiasm” - Arnold Sherr

The answer to another question; The poor, the needy, the endangered, they who protest for that which is right, for a wing at a children’s hospital, for Alzheimer’s, for cancer research, for our brave soldiers returning home, for the 47 million kids without health insurance, for Toys for Tots, for ADD/ADHD/OCD, and so much more.

And the question is; what are some of the causes for which the Italian Angels Motorcycle Brotherhood, the Florida Federation of Italian American Clubs, and the many Parrott Heads clubs volunteer unselfishly their efforts for the purpose of raising much needed donations and revenue?

Take a breath; think for a moment; there is no Jeopardy in actually performing the answers and asking the questions after- the-fact.

“The benefits of giving shall be as generous as or greater than that which is given”
- Arnold Sherr