Partying With A Purpose
By Kate Hofstetter
 
     Years ago, while looking at a sea of fans in tropical garb, a member of Jimmy Buffett’s band is said to have remarked, “look at all those parrot heads.” The name
stuck and their numbers grew. Today, there are more than 212 Parrot Head clubs worldwide. The Buffett enthusiasts even have their own license plate (at least in Virginia, Florida and South Carolina).
     “Parrot Heads are just like ‘Dead Heads’ except we have jobs and credit cards,” laughed Dana Reagan, president of the Parrot Heads of the Blue Ridge (PHBR).
     Parrot Heads also have more fun and raise money for charity. They meet Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Roanoke: 1st Tuesday, Corned Beef for a business meeting; 2nd Tuesday, Hooters; 3rd Tuesday, TGI Fridays in Valley View; and 4th Tuesday, Martin’s. Anyone may join them for the social get-togethers or even the business meeting.
     A few of their favorite charities include animal shelters, Relay for Life (American Cancer Society), the Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Run, the Children’s Miracle Network, and Alzheimers Memory Walk. They have adopted a stretch of highway in Roanoke where they regularly pick up litter. Plus, they support the Roanoke Valley SPCA and were at the Smith Mountain Lake Chili Festival last November. You could also spot Parrot Heads in the Christmas Parade in Vinton and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Roanoke. They won a first place award in both events.
     The parent organization, “Parrot Heads in Paradise International” (PHIP), requires all clubs to perform charity work and civic and environmental activities after they are “sanctioned,” said Reagan. Once fan clubs began to form, Buffett thought their efforts should be spent giving back to communities and assisting charities. Parrot Heads call that “Partying with a purpose!”
     “Parrot Heads of the Blue Ridge was formed in 2002,” said Adam Johnston, who became a Buffett fan while vacationing in the Florida Keys. “Now we have members from Smith Mountain Lake to the New River Valley.”
     A member of the Key West Band (a well-known local group of Parrot Head members and a “Trop-rock” band) helped start the club. Today, PHBR has 125 adult members and 15 “Parakeets” or “Keets” (17 years or younger).
     Is it required for members to know all the words to “Margaritaville”?
     “No, but probably most of our club members do,” said Gayle Law of Rocky Mount, who has been a Buffett fan since the 1970s but only recently joined the club. “I just heard about it,” she confessed, “or I would have joined sooner.”