A Parrot Head Party to Remember!

SMC volunteers educate and have fun at the same time!  (back, l-r) Kevin and Shara Buck (l-r front) Chrissy Pitko, Mary Scussel Bourassa, and Bob Thidodeau. (Photo by Dave Pitko)

By Chrissy Pitko,
SMC Volunteer

What do you get when you combine enthusiasm, festivity, and fun-loving, passionate people? You get one great day of fun at the pre Jimmy Buffett concert party on Saturday, Feb. 26th at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

People (many of them Parrot Heads!) came from near and far dressed in brightly colored tropical shirts, grass skirts, wild hats, and flip-flops. They first flocked to the daylong tailgate party set up in the parking lot at the fairgrounds, where they enjoyed music and dancing before heading over to the sold out Buffett concert at the amphitheatre. Captain Harry, president of the Tampa Bay Parrot Heads in Paradise Club, was a very busy man: orchestrating contests and raffles, answering questions, and attending just about anything that needed his special attention. He had a smile the whole day – enjoying every minute and doing so with laughter and charm. We set up our Save the Manatee Club (SMC) information table next to the Tampa Bay Parrot Heads, who are strong supporters of the Club and other environmental organizations. The Parrot Heads help raise awareness and spread the word and do so with great fun and wonderful attitudes. At the end of the day, Captain Harry presented SMC with a check for $5,000, which will help tremendously with the Club’s ongoing efforts to help the manatees.

At left, Captain Harry, president of the Tampa Bay Parrot Heads in Paradise Club, presents SMC volunteer Bob Thidodeau with a generous donation for the Club.  Thanks Tampa Bay Parrot Heads!  (Photo by Dave Pitko)

We had quite a few people stop by our table to join our E-mail Action Alert Team and talk to me and the other SMC volunteers: Bob Thibodeau, Mary Scussel Bourassa, and Kevin and Shara Buck. There were so many stories -- so much excitement! Kelly from Jacksonville told me she adopted Philip in 1994 at Blue Spring State Park. “I love the quarterly newsletters and updates from the Club,” she said. “These are the best animals on earth,” claimed Tim Heuschling from Cape Coral. We all think so, too!

To see families and friends all participating and showing such excitement was eye opening. People had different reasons why they joined Save the Manatee Club. Brenda is a Parrot Head from Maine. She and her family just moved to Florida in January and are planning a trip to Homosassa to see their adoptees Betsy and Amanda. They chose Amanda because she shares her birthday with Jimmy Buffett! Candy Jones from Tampa has adopted Rosie from Homosassa and Flicker from the Tampa Bay adoption programs. She has been a member for five years. Candy had also adopted Ragtail who died tragically in 2001 from a boat strike. “That was such a sad letter from the Club. I was shocked,” Candy said. “All my life my family has lived on the water and we grew up with manatees. As Floridians, we want to keep them safe.”

To be among free-spirited, nature-loving people and such strong manatee supporters is a memory that will always make me smile. A special thank you to Mikeee, Chief Officer of Community Affairs. And a huge thanks to the sponsors of the event: Margaritaville Tequila, Ford Amphitheatre, Florida State Fairgrounds, Corona, Channelside, WQYK 99.5, and Thunder 103.5.

We are on a journey, and it may be rough sometimes. But if we can inform, teach, and educate others about the plight of the manatee, and do it with a combination of information, fun, and enthusiasm, we may be able to create an awareness and understanding that people of all ages can get excited about. Let’s get our kids involved. They only know they love the manatees, but we know a lot more – that something has to be done to preserve these gentle giants. We have a very serious situation, so we need to bring in people to help make a difference and maybe have some serious fun doing it! I guess I, too, am just a kid at heart. I’ll conclude with a quote from Aristotle: “In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.”

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