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Photos and Recap from our 25th Anniversary Party
See Full Slideshow in our Photo Album We had our milestone 25th Anniversary Party at Kilkenny Irish Pub on Saturday November 27, 2021. It was awesome and emotional to be able to celebrate with our long time fellow Parrotheads, together again, and for a very special occasion!! Special thanks to the incredibly talented pH Unbalanced Band for playing at our party, like they have faithfully done for most of our 25 years, for which we’re grateful. We had lots of fun with our traditional Silent Auction, raising money for our 25th Anniversary charity of choice, Crohn's and Colitis Canada. We had our 50/50 raffle and a jelly-beans-jar-guessing contest; more ways to raise money for our charity. Overall, we raised a total of $3,500 from our efforts. As the longest-running chartered Parrothead club in Canada, we’ve come a very long way. We can look back with amazement and pride at all the funds raised for so many charities in the Calgary urban area, plus the thousands of member volunteer hours we’ve attained in service to our community! As our motto says we " Party with a Purpose " and we will continue, no matter what hurdles we have to overcome. Here's to another 25 great Parrothead years, PHINS UP !! The Calgary Parrot Head Club: How It All Began We waited for the next one to be advertised, but nothing happened for the next year or so. We can remember sitting around with friends on a Friday night, wishing we could go to another Jimmy Buffett party. They actually suggested to us that we should start up a club here in Calgary and have our own parties. Coming to the conclusion that we didn’t really know where to start, I called Green Street and spoke with Chuck, the musician. I told him what we were thinking and we set up a meeting with him. All three of us, Chuck, Tom and I knew that we wanted to do something more with this idea. In June 1996, I called Key West’s Margaritaville to find out how to form a club. They, in turn, directed me to Donna, in Virginia. She gave me some suggestions and names of who to contact. Later on that month, Tom did the paperwork, paid the fee, and sent the materials to Pat in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We, at that point, had formed the “Calgary Parrot Head Club”. Between Chuck, Tom and me, we organized a party at Hose & Hydrant for May 19, 1996 (a long weekend) called First Flocking of '96. A fantastic 155 people turned out at the first flocking and we raised $710.00 for Easter Seals Camp Horizon through the 24 Hour Relay. This charity was chosen because of it being near and dear to an inaugural member’s heart. Tickets were $5.00 per person and we were able to get in advance an audio tape of Banana Wind from the MCA Records representative, Terry. While it was being played, one comment was, “The title song sounds like something from Sesame Street!” The entertainment was Chuck playing his guitar, and I had sung some harmonies. We had a sign-up list at the door for interested flock members. They could leave their name, address and/or e-mail address in the appropriate column. After the showing of significant interest in Calgary, we chartered with the PHiP (Parrot Heads in Paradise) in July, 1996. Officially, we were Parrot Head Club # 90. At that time, the “First Canadian Parrot Head Club” was in Parksville, BC. It ceased to exist a couple of years later. At last, our first Calgary Parrot Head Club happy hour was on September 25, 1996 at the Hose & Hydrant Pub. We had a fantastic turnout and new friendships began to form. Meeting other parrot head friends was one of our main goals. On September 28 & 29, 1996, the Gorge at George, Washington became the incredible backdrop for the Banana Wind Concert. The “Order of the Sleepless Knights” (members from our club) were in attendance. A few of our club’s members met up with the Spokane flock the night before the concert. A larger group of Calgary Parrot Heads got together at O’Doherty’s Irish Grille to share our excitement about the upcoming concert. The weekend was a blast and everyone enjoyed themselves far too much. The next Happy Hour was on November 29, 1996. Once again, the turnout was fabulous. It seemed too good to be true that we could actually listen to Jimmy’s music in a public setting other than Come Monday and Margaritaville, which was played sporadically on the radio. The club organized a Christmas Toy Drive which was attended by many parrot heads. A group of musicians got together and formed the first pH Unbalanced Band (members were Chuck, Darryl, Joyce, Perry, Roger & Ross) and they entertained the Hose & Hydrant’s patrons and club members. We had asked folks to bring a toy for the Salvation Army Children’s Village charity. We also, at that time, offered a Charter Membership Package for $25 which included club launched tee shirt, the Christmas Island CD, and a 1996/97 membership. On Sunday May 4, 1997, the first River Clean Up was attended by our club members. This was our first exposure to the press. We were on T.V. for the first time on CBC Sunday News. We felt it was great exposure for the club. It is now January 2021, and the Calgary Parrot Head Club has raised great amounts of money through Happy Hours, Spring Phlings, Christmas Parties, and Golf Tournaments, for all different kinds of charities in and around Calgary. Environmentally, we have cleaned parts of the Bow River’s banks each year and have done all of this while enjoying the company of others who are like minds! We are the people our parents warned us about, but instead of cautioning us, they might have praised us for our sense of community, our sense of pride in what we do, and our ability to look into the future and recognize that we can make a difference and it’s worth it! We are the longest lasting Parrot Head Club in Canada, and very proud of that! It has been twenty-five years since the club started, and we are hoping that it continues for another twenty-five years!
2020 Pathway & River Cleanup Results Muchos gracias to the volunteers who signed up for the Pathway/River cleanup , especially in very trying times! This was our 23rd contiguous year -- and even the COVID19 Pandemic didn't stop this event from going ahead! - Just rescheduled for September from our usual first-Sunday-in-May schedule, when we still in the midst of the big quarantine of 2020. We were back in our old assigned pathway Inglewood, and back starting and ending at the Hose & Hound. And the weather was great yet again! :-) Even the forest fire smoke didn't keep the sun from shining. Great to get together again, in the great outdoors. Thank you again, and hope to see you all next year!
Congratulations to Neil, Willy,
Christmas “Party With a Purpose”
Golf Tournament 2019: A Phun Success From Joyce B., CalPHC Prez. After what seemed like a continuous rainy day after rainy day, for what seemed like the whole summer, we finally were blessed with sunshine and half decent temperatures on the day of our Annual Golf Tournament. Forty-eight golfers showed up in their finest “Parrot Head” clothing to help raise money for the A.L.S. Society. Each signed up golfer was given a Registration Gift which included our very own "Calgary Parrot Head Club Golf Towels"!!! Thank you Cathy & Steve for organizing all of these handouts!
We had fantastic prizes that were gathered from local businesses as well as really great donations from a few brewing companies. The gifts were fantastic! A special thanks to Top’s Pizza & Steak House for picking up the tab for free beverages once out on the course and donating so many of the larger prizes. Also, thank you to Pam for the wonderful Raffle prize items from Pottery Barn. As well, thank you to the many others for the donations, and especially Dustan who took the bull by the horns and worked diligently to make this event happen without a snag! We sure couldn’t have had such a successful tournament without all of them. We played 9 holes with Best Ball. There were competitions for our golf tournament that were filled by many. The Best Scoring Group consisted of Wayne W, Pam W., Ryan W., and Ashley W, all who are long time Parrot Heads of our club. Congratulations go to all of them! After playing the 9 holes, everyone had four different tasty options for dinner at the clubhouse as soon as they were finished golfing or whenever they wanted to place their order. The meals were great and all the staff at the golf course was exceptional! Golf stories were shared as the libations were disappearing. We had Jimmy Buffett’s tunes blasting in the clubhouse for all to enjoy! Every year we have a 50/50 Draw, but this year we also had Door Prizes (Hockey Jerseys mostly) and two Raffle Draws (two gift baskets worth over $700 altogether). Thank you to everyone who bought tickets for these draws! The total amount raised from the Raffle Draws was $525 and the 50/50 Draw made $155. We sold many Mulligan’s for $5.00 each which raised $365. Hmmm! We really are so competitive! I wonder if anyone else found some in their pocket the next day too? Thanks goes out to all who entered the tournament as well as the organizers! Something like this doesn’t just happen without hours and hours of work behind the scenes. Cheers to all who helped, and participated! The total amount raised was $1502.26! This amount will be added to the other funds raised this year for this worthy charity. There will be a cheque presentation on September 28 [2019] at 2 PM, Top’s Pizza & Steak House on Fairmount Drive SE. Come on out and enjoy some tunes, catch up with old phriends, and be part of the BIG Cheque Presentation to the A.L.S. Society. Addendum: Cheque Presentation: We raised our “Tin Cup Chalice”s on September 28 at Top’s Pizza &.Steak House as we celebrated handing over of a cheque to the ALS Society of Alberta!
Spring Phling: Wasn't That A Party! (And Fundraiser) From Joyce B, CalPHC Prez. May 2019 Well, another successful Spring Phling to go down in the books! We had a turnout of approximately 130, not counting staff and band which made the bar warm up considering the cooler weather outside. We raised $3050 to go to S.T.A.R.S. Air Ambulance through the ticket sales, a 50/50 Draw, a Balloon Draw for a Redwood Cedar Planter with Wildflowers (donated once again by Murray and Leeann), and the Silent Auction. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed this Partying With a Purpose again. We will be adding this amount to the January Happy Hour's donation and making a large cheque (and small) to S.T.A.R.S. Air Ambulance in the near future. Thank you goes to Stu and his wife, Diane, for talking to the crowd about their experience with S.T.A.R.S. at the beginning of the evening. No doubt a life changing experience! I want to thank everyone who helped out; the door, decorating, 50/50, Silent Auction, the Balloon Draw, Memberships, decorations coming down, and so on! We sure couldn't do it without you and I hope you realize just how important and appreciated your helping out is! Thank you!! Golf Tournament: Winners and Charity Results By Joyce B. Carts were assigned and decorated by everyone and the judging of the Best Decorated Cart was done by two war veterans that were there to represent the charity we chose, “Canadian Legacy Project”. Interestingly enough, one of the veterans, Roger, was from the United States who had served in the Vietnam War and is now living in Calgary, and the other, a Canadian vet, Mike, who had served for several tours in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Bosnia, and is suffering from P.T.S.D (See this CFCN Calgary Link) were our judges. The Marshal of the course was pleased with everyone and thought that all of the carts really showed off our character as a group. We played 9 holes using the Best Ball. There were competitions for our golf tournament that were filled by many. The Best Scoring Group consisted of Gord C, Dale G, Steve M, and Kevin W, all who are long time Parrot Heads of our club. Congratulations go to all of them! An additional competition was the Best Dressed Parrot Head! Many were decked out with flamingo hats, tropical shirts, hula skirts, beads and leis, Parrot Head tailgate decorated hats and so much more! Interestingly enough, the top five were all dressed as Pirates! It came down to the hand held over each and who got the loudest cheering! Ken won! The others in the line up were decked out with a parrot (stuffed, with a pirate hat) on one of their shoulders, and another with a pirate puppet! Let’s not forget the new member, Craig, with the coconut bra and grass skirt! Too much PHUN! Everyone had four tasty options for dinner at the clubhouse as soon as they were finished golfing or whenever they wanted to place their order. The meals were great and all the staff at the golf course was exceptional! The 50/50 Draw was also a success, thanks to Rob C. and Janice L. for doing such a great job selling them, and you would never know that forty of us could raise so much for the charity! The winner of the 50/50 Draw was Bonnie M., who re-donated her winnings. This was a very generous gesture and not one that we expected, at all! Thank you Bonnie! We tried something new this year to raise more funds. Besides the selling of Mulligans and the 50/50 Draw, this year, we had Raffle Draws. We went expecting to have two draws, but ended up with four as Fox Hollow donated some items and a member brought a huge, basket of freshly dug and cleaned veggies from his garden! Thank you to everyone who bought tickets for these four draws! An enormous thank you to Pam W., Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Gord C., Wayne W., and Fox Hollow for these wonderful gifts! The Canadian Legacy Project ( http://www.canadianlegacy.org/ ) will be receiving a cheque through presentation at a later date as we are also going to have our November Happy Hour raising funds to add on to this amount. Hopefully, the two vets that were at the tournament, Roger and Mike, can be there as well. The Canadian Legacy Project was developed to be an organization that advocates for our veterans and supports them by creating programs and events to help improve their everyday lives. All in all, it was one of our best golf tournaments! Thank you to all who entered the tournament as well as the volunteers and organizers (Dustan B., Steve M., Joyce B., Gord C., and Greg from Fox Hollow)! Something like this doesn’t just happen without hours and hours of work behind the scenes. Fins up to all who helped, and participated! Success of Spring Phling 2018 by Joyce Byrnes Another successful Spring Phling has passed and we are so proud to announce that we raised $3908 (with more to come; discussed later) for STARS Air Ambulance. This is awesome! Original Joes-Avenida was full of very generous Parrot Heads who bid on twenty- two Silent Auction items, bought (just under 920) 50/50 tickets, purchased fifty ocean coloured balloons at twenty dollars a balloon with the hopes of winning a beautiful Red Cedar Planter Box, with two Scarlet Begonias, which was designed, made, and donated by two of our own parrot heads, Leann and Murray. Trying to find room on the dance floor was a bit tricky at times with the pH Unbalanced Band belting out tunes that everyone seemed to enjoy. There was another impromptu conga line that threaded throughout the bar, picking up patrons as it went past them. We had pirates dancing with hula girls! We had Fins to the Left, and Right! We had smiling faces from all directions! We really do know how to Party With a Purpose! A huge thank-you to everyone who donated items for this event! Additional note: STARS will also be the beneficiary for our June 24 Happy Hour. We knew it was worthy for raising money, but when you hear first hand of what STARS does, like what Lorna at the Spring Phling told us she went through, you know it is worth every cent.
Extra! Extra! CalPHC featured in Phlockers Magazine, June 2015 Edition! (Pages 12 & 13)
That's a Wrap: The 2017 Christmas Charity Fundraiser Party by Joyce Byrnes Greetings Parrot Heads! What a wonderful evening Saturday Dec. 9 [2017] turned out to be! The weather was here!... That’s for sure! With all of the proceeds going to Inn From the Cold – Calgary, I am very pleased to let you know that we raised $3764.00! There is no doubt that this amount will help to make this time of year a little bit easier for those families that are in need of assistance. First of all, we all supported this charity by coming out to party with a purpose,(Thank you) because that is just what we do.... as well as bidding on the 23 silent auction items, buying all 50 balloons for $20 each, hoping to win one of the two draws worth approximately $650 each, buying up the 50/50 tickets and making the actual winner walk away with $410, and a huge smile across her face. The 50/50 ticket sales was also a record breaker!! You all conga lined, twice, and partied with the purpose of having a great time! The Shotzski did not sit idle for any length of time, and from my view of the evening, everyone seemed to be having an excellent time. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed towards the silent auction items. I wouldn't have been able to put together all of those baskets without your contributions. Also, a thank you to John & Marion, Janice & Rob, Tom, and Colleen for helping out with the Balloon Draw; Eva & Roy, Bev & Derek, Cathy & Steve, Ashlea & Shane for decorating, Eva & Roy for making, and selling, all of those 50/50 tickets, Wendy & Marvin, Lorrie & Kevin, Karen and Janice, and Janice & Yves for taking care of the tickets at the door. I also would like to thank Bev and Cindy for offering next year’s memberships. You will be able to purchase them at the 2018 Happy Hours as well. A huge thanks to Derek for going around to everyone with the membership sales rather than you trying to catch up with the gals. There is no possible way that this Christmas “Party With a Purpose” would have even happened without all of their help, and your attendance. It is appreciated very much! Cheers to you having a safe holiday season everyone! The “Bored” Members would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2018! Fins up,
The Fire Fighters Burn Treatment Society was very appreciative of the funds we raised for them from the 50/50 draws at the January Happy Hour. Shown here is a picture of the cheque presentation from Derek D. to Thomas K. of the society.
Funds Raised for GrowCalgary from March Happy Hour Thanks to the 50/50 and Raffle Draws during the March Happy Hour (Dockside Pub) we raised $332.00 for GrowCalgary, an urban farm that grows produce for our local food banks and other related services organizations. Here, Maria M. is presenting the cheque to Paul Hughes (far right), the founder of GrowCalgary. This took place in the "Earthship", a special experimental greenhouse to allow for a 365 day grow period. GrowCalgary was very appreciative of our donation. Yet another beneficiary of our "partying with a purpose!"
Charity Results from 2016 Christmas Fundraiser Party:
Thank you to everyone who came to our 20th anniversary Christmas Phling event on November 26, 2016, and what a party it was! We managed to collect 4 (oversized) food hampers worth of food and the total amount raised for the Veteran's Food Bank and Wings of Hope was $2,545.00. What a great night and both charities are very appreciative of our efforts. Here are some pictures Dustan took from delivering the food and cash donations in November, as 7 of us spent the day volunteering at the Veteran's Food Bank on behalf of our CPHC.
Additional News from the 2015 Christmas Charity Fundraiser: The event successfully raised $3,500.00 for the Calgary Fire Fighter's Burn Treatment Society. The photo for the actual presentation of the cheque to the Burn Treatment Society is shown below. Thanks to all the Parrot Head members for making this happen -- and a special additional thank you to the volunteers for helping out with the fundraiser!
Our Christmas Charity Fundraiser Party 2013 at Donegal Irish Pub was a huge success, with the silent auction, the 50/50 draw and food/drink sales. Substantial funds will thus be given to our charities, Neighborlink and the Veteran's Food Bank. We had a great turnout -- an awesome night with the pH Unbalanced Band! A huge thank-you to everyone who helped with the setup/arrangements for the Christmas party. Also thank you to those who generously donated items for the silent auction. Thank You from COPA Cares Fund The Calgary Parrot Head Club has received an appreciative thank-you letter from the Central Oklahoma Parrothead Association's "COPA Cares Fund", thanking us for donating to the relief fund for the victims of the Oklahoma tornados earlier this year... Check it out below. Here's more proof that our fundraising efforts are appreciated!
A great big thank you to everyone who came out to help the flood victims in High River on Sunday July 7, 2013. We were able to help clean up four different homes.
We welcome Ashlea L. as our new President! [2012] In the past years, Ashlea has more and more involved with corrdination and assistance with club activities. Her pleasant personality has been an asset as well.
Vida Farewell After 7 years [2005-2012] as captain of this ship of fun, Vida V. had decided to step down as President of the Calgary Parrot Head Club. Her dedication and devotion has built this group from “just another club” to Canada’s definitive Parrot Head club. In addition to duties as president, she has coordinated (or played a very key role in) countless events over the years; from numerous happy-hours to several major annual fundraisers. Vida also organized much of our volunteering events including our numerous lunch services at the Drop-In Centre. On the whole, she has worn several hats in the course of her term (besides a pirate hat, sombrero, Calgary Parrot Head cap, etc.). Although Vida is retiring as President, we are very fortunate that she will remain on the exec board as Past President where she will continue as an extremely valuable resource. With Vida, we’ve been one very lucky club. So in honour of Vida, a 21-shot salute! (That is, shots of the tequila kind!) Buffett Graduates!
Buffett's history with the Calgary Parrot Head Club began a few short years ago when Club Members chose to support PADS at their upcoming Spring Phling. PADS was a novel charity for the Club, and they thought they might just be able to raise enough funds to sponsor and name one puppy who would come to Calgary for puppy-raising, so that Club members could watch him or her grow up as a potential Assistance Dog. When the feathers settled after that particular Spring Phling, not only were there enough funds to sponsor one puppy, the excess was halfway to sponsoring a second puppy! The Club made plans to continue supporting PADS at their Christmas Drive later that year. The first Parrot Head puppy that PADS sent to Calgary was a sweet Yellow Lab the Members named "Tiki", and she quickly stole everyone's heart with her amber eyes and promising future. PADS volunteers and the young puppies in their care mingled with the Parrot Headers at the Christmas Drive that winter, inspiring guests to bid even higher for the Silent Auction donations. The tally at the end of the evening was surprisingly enough to sponsor that second puppy and a third one to boot! Next puppy to arrive was "Monday", a cheeky Golden Retriever puppy introduced at a Parrot Head Happy Hour. When Club president Vida was asked to shout out the name of her favourite Jimmy Buffett song, "Come Monday", the little Golden came springing out from under her puppy-raiser's jacket. Very soon after came a leggy, long-bodied Black Lab pup with soulful eyes. He hailed from California - offspring of excellent breeding stock from Guide Dogs for the Blind. This wee fellow was given the name Buffett, and his best playmate was the beautiful, mischievous Monday. Five month old Buffett and Monday attended the next Spring Phling to encourage Club Members and their guests with Wags & puppy Wiggles, to bid higher on the Silent Auction items. It must have worked, for soon there were enough funds to sponsor a fourth Parrot Head Puppy! It was a bittersweet summer that year. As Monday grew older, it became obvious that this sweet Golden was not happy in the busy human world in which an Assistance Dog would have to live, and the thought of riding an elevator or a C-train would send her into a cold canine sweat. Monday was released from the PADS program to follow a calmer dog life as a pet with a family in BC. Replacing her in Buffett's life was Parrot Head puppy number four: a spunky Yellow Lab the Club named Cajun. Cajun took to Buffett like a natural younger brother and became his trusty sidekick in canine adventures like camping in the Kananaskis, road trips to Edmonton, hotel stays in the Empress in Victoria, visits to the Calgary Zoo, and fun romps at the off-leash park. Two more fundraisers generated funds to sponsor and name yet another PADS puppy: Latitude! This youngster started living up to his name right away – traveling to Pennsylvania with the Calgary Puppy-raising Supervisor at the tender age of three months, to help change attitudes about Assistance Dogs everywhere. Including Latitude’s sponsorship, the Parrot Head Club had raised over $13,500 to date, and donated it all to PADS! In the spring of 2011, the time had come for Tiki and Buffett to return to the PADS Facility in Vancouver for assessment for Advanced Training. Tiki's trip was delayed for a minor health reason, but Buffett made the journey in early May. He aced his temperament and skills testing immediately – particularly pleasing his Instructors with his relaxed, easy going nature and his desire to do a good job (just like the Parrot Header he is!) PADS decided that he would be a valuable asset to their Breeding Program, and lined up a battery of health tests he would have to pass to qualify. In mid September, the last results were in, and Buffett had passed with flying colours! There was a Breeder Caretaker available right away to look after him: Dr Leslie Vanstone of the Burquitlam Animal Hospital - where all the PADS dogs go when they need a Vet. Leslie is married and has three children, an older Lab, and a cat. In his first few weeks with Leslie, Buffett had already gone to work every day, to school for Show and Tell, hiking up a mountain, swimming at the beach, and was on a first name basis with all the school kids who walked home past his house. What is Buffett's take on the way his life has turned out? Well, like a true Parrot Header, he is confident that he will be able to make a significant contribution to the future of PADS, and is looking forward to meeting all the "ladies". At his Graduation, he was overheard to remark: "I love my Job!" Phins up, Buffett! Do us proud!
For the first time ever, Roy & I went to the first Jimmy Buffett concert in October. In past years, we have always gone to the second show and as a result there never was a Last Man Standing party to attend. This year we caught the October 15th show so we also caught the October 14th Last Man Standing party. We attended a little "pre-party" before the Last Man Standing party. In conjunction with the grand opening of the Margaritaville Casino, Margaritaville was breaking the Guinness World Record for largest margarita on Friday, October 14th. An 8500 gallon “Lucky Rita” was created and at 5 O'clock the last of the tequila was poured into the blender. Jimmy was on hand to sing our anthem “Margaritaville”, which was a real treat. Don’t think I’ll ever be that close to the man again! You could purchase a taste of Lucky Rita all weekend long, and into the following concert weekend festivities. It was a great warm up to the LMS. The four of us (Barry L., Doug D., Roy & Eva R.), headed over to Tommy Rocker’s for the party. The party is hosted by the Las Vegas Parrot Head Club, and is one of their fundraisers. There were lots of silent auction items, 50/50 draw, games to play, cheeseburgers to eat, and, of course, lots of beer! Things were just beginning to warm up when we arrived. The usual suspects were just wrapping up their set when we got there. After them, Jerry Gontang & Stars on the Water got things hopping. Jimmy & the Parrots took over the stage after Jerry and his gang, who really got things shakin’, until Tommy Rocker & Conched Out took the stage, with special guests Michael Utley, Robert Greenidge & Doyle Grisham. There was non-stop music, dancing, boat drinks and just plain old fun, until around midnight when everything shut down. Sometime during Jimmy & The Parrots’ set, Joyce and Tom B. showed up. I’m proud to say that though representation by the Calgary Parrothead Club was small, we were the Last Men and Women standing at the party! - Eva
15 Years Young and Still Cruisin'! But How Did It All Begin? by Joyce B. Although we would like to think of ourselves as Parrot Heads since we were three feet tall, and who knows, maybe we were, both Tom and I have enjoyed the lyricism and musical accounts of Jimmy’s for far too many years to even count. Amazingly enough, we had heard of a Jimmy Buffett Party at a bar named Green Street (Oh Canada) which was hosted by a university student(s) in the spring of 1995. We took a couple of our friends, who also enjoyed Jimmy’s tunes, and off to the shindig we went. A musician by the name of Chuck was playing guitar and singing some of Jimmy’s songs. I also knew the lyrics to the songs, and joined him on stage. The party was full of costumes of all kinds including a shark eating a person, cheeseburger hats, flowers in hula dancers’ hair, and an array of tropical flowered shirts. This setting was perfect, and the party was a blast! In June 1996, I called Key West’s Margaritaville to find out how to form a club. They, in turn, directed me to Donna in Virginia. She gave me some suggestions and names of who to contact. Later on that month, Tom did the paperwork, paid the fee, and sent the materials to Pat in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We, at that point, had formed the “Calgary Parrot Head Club”. Between Chuck, Tom and me, we organized a party at Hose & Hydrant for May 19, 1996 (a long weekend) called First Flocking of '96. A fantastic 155 people turned out at the first flocking and we raised $710.00 for Easter Seals Camp Horizon through the 24 hour Relay. This charity was chosen because of it being near and dear to an inaugural member’s heart. Tickets were $5.00 per person and we were able to get in advance an audio tape of Banana Wind from the MCA Records representative, Terry. While it was being played, one comment was, “The title song sounds like something from Sesame Street!” The entertainment was Chuck playing his guitar, and I had sung some harmonies. We had a sign up list at the door for interested flock members. They could leave their name, address and/or e-mail address in the appropriate column. After the showing of significant interest in Calgary, we chartered with the PHIP (Parrot Heads in Paradise) in July, 1996. Officially, we were Parrot Head Club # 90. At that time the “First Canadian Parrot Head club” was in Parksville, BC. It ceased to exist a couple years later. Our first organizational meeting was at Kaffa Coffee & Salsa House, August 26, 1996. A group of members established a membership package and discussed upcoming events, our first being the September 22, 1996 Alzheimer’s "Thanks for the Memories" walk. PHIP also picked up on Memory Walks from other communities. At last, our first Calgary Parrot Head Club happy hour was on September 25, 1996 at the Hose & Hydrant Pub. We had a fantastic turn out and new friendships began to form. Meeting other parrot head friends was one of our main goals. On September 28 & 29, 1996, the Gorge at George, Washington became the incredible backdrop for the Banana Wind Concert. The “Order of the Sleepless Knights” (members from our club) was in attendance. A few of our club’s members met up with the Spokane flock the night before the concert. A larger group of Calgary Parrot Heads got together at O’Doherty’s Irish Grille to share our excitement about the upcoming concert. The weekend was a blast and everyone enjoyed themselves far too much. The next Happy Hour was on November 29, 1996. Once again, the turnout was fabulous. It seemed too good to be true that we could actually listen to Jimmy’s music in a public setting other than Come Monday and Margaritaville which was played sporadically on the radio. The club organized a Christmas Toy Drive which was attended by many parrot heads. A group of musicians got together and formed the first pH Unbalanced Band (members were Chuck, Darryl, Joyce, Perry, Roger & Ross) and they entertained the Hose & Hydrant’s patrons and club members. We had asked folks to bring a toy for the Salvation Army Children’s Village charity. We also, at that time, offered a Charter Membership Package for $25 which included club launched tee shirt, the Christmas Island CD, and a 1996/97 membership. So that is a brief history of the early days of the Calgary Parrot Head Club. It truly has been a lovely cruise! - Joyce B. (From newsletter published by Loralyne et al.) Current Members:
2013 is now upon us. Returning members: we need your membership renewal forms, please – just click on this, print off that form and follow the instructions. New members: Welcome! :-) Please use the same form, thanks! Greetings from the Head Parrot (Dec. 2011) Ho, Ho, Ho and a bottle of Rum from the Helm: Our Spring Phling in May was a huge success and we were able to raise $3,600 for Pacific Assistance Dogs and Meals on Wheels (School Children’s Soup Program). Thanks to Chuck and staff at the Hose & Hound for letting us take over the pub for the night. Thanks as well to Chuck, Joyce & Nick for the live entertainment. Thank you to all the volunteers; we couldn’t do it without you. November 12th was our it Annual Christmas Food Drive for the Calgary Veterans and a silent auction for PADS Calgary and Meals on Wheels. Happy to report that we collected about 700 lbs of food, and our silent auction raised $3,700 to be split evenly between PADS and Meals-on-Wheels. Thank you to Shane & Ashlea for organizing and to all the volunteers who made this great event happen. It has been a great year for the Calgary PHC. Thanks to everyone who has stepped up to the plate to lead events, clean up the river, happy hour hosts, serve lunch at the Drop -In Centre and just to all who supported our phlockings this year. A Merry Christmas to all Calgary Parrot Heads and may 2012 bring you much joy. - Vida Many Thanks (2011) River Cleanup 2011 Recap...
Volunteering in such causes as this that contribute to the betterment of our community--we've proven that we are more than a bunch of people wearing funny-looking tropical attire with a margarita in our hands!! Well done, ParrotHeads! 15th Annual Christmas Charity Drive
Brian Neale from Northern Harbour and DJ Rocky came to town from Toronto to provide the evening's entertainment. They found out real quick what a Calgary cold spell was all about. But it's a dry cold! They kept the dance floor full with great tropical and Buffett tunes. Chuck Rose was in attendance and we were all treated to a couple of tunes by both Chuck and Brian. That was awesome! The Dumas Award was presented during the evening festivities. Ashlea L. is the 2010 Dumas Award recipient (Details). Many boat drinks were consumed while we partied like it was the end of the world. We did not quietly make noise as we crossed the thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning. And yes, we are the people our parents warned us about! Thanks, phlock, for another successful fundraiser! Living-the-Life-in-the-Keys: MOTM 2010 I was asked to write a few words on the 2010 phlocking to Key West for the Meeting of the Minds, and for the first time in a long time feel at a loss for words. Thursday was the big day at the Casa Marina, and I couldn't wait for the show. The morning brought feelings of regret for the tequila from the night before. Some of us were a little slower-moving, with naps on the beach in much need. The setting couldn't have been more beautiful, with the ocean at your feet, palm trees swaying in the wind, and white sand worthy of sinking your toes into. The concert was amazing: Mac MacAnally, The Boat Drunks, Mr. Utley, Tina Gullickson, Robert Greenidge, Peter Mayer, Doyle Grisham, and Ilo Ferreira all came together to put on a show that Jimmy would be proud of, and the 3,000 Parrotheads in attendance were in awe of. They played some original material, mixed in with some of Jimmy's greatest songs. The rest of the week was spent touring around the island, checking out tourist hot spots and local haunts. For me, one of the greatest thrills was getting to see the places that inspired so many of Jimmy's songs. We went down to Captain Tony's, saw some crazy woman on Caroline Street, and went down to Fausto's to get some chocolate milk. I believe that a great time was had by all, and some are even talking about a trip again next year... (Anonymous author)
Chuck Rose: “Don’t Take Life so Seriously” Riding his bike along Ninth Avenue S.E., through a construction zone, trying to keep up with the traffic, when his pedal caught on a curb that was cut off as part of the construction. The bike stopped, but Chuck didn't, at least not until he hit the pavement!! Fortunately none of the cars that he was trying to race had actually hit him. Bruised from head to toe all down the left side of his body, a sprained ankle, compound fracture of his radius and ulna (not sure on this as Nurse Loralyne put this together), didn’t stop Chuck from laughing at his hand facing backward!! He spent all of August in a drug induced haze (some people spent all of the 70’s in that state, ha!, ha!) The cast came off, and Chuck practiced his guitar and played his first gig less than 6 weeks later. Lesson Learned: Slow Down; Don`t take life seriously!! Get a dog; take long walks; live in the moment; life is good!! * * * Lorrie and Kevin: “So Eager, but They Never Showed Up” "When is the Spring Phling??" Lesson Learned: “Be careful what you ask for” -- but if you do, just try and remember what it was!! * * * Vida and Company: “Who Keeps Playing that IPod Tune?” It was a great party; a fantastic evening. No one wanted it to end, so the après-festivity party continued on at Vida’s house! We left the bar in a flurry! Decorations and door prizes were flung into vehicles, along with coats, jackets, purses and shoes. Everyone and everything made it there, to the party and then safely home -- except for someone's purse... Lesson Learned: Hearing is the last sense to leave us before we lose consciousness. So when you are awake, maybe pay attention to it!!... * * * Ashlea: “Sucked into the “Vortex” -- Again It happened late one summer evening after a PH BBQ. It was dark, and there was liquor involved (all this should be your first clue!! Hee…hee…..red flag!!) Shane & Ashlea finally decided it was time to leave, so went out the back door to the back yard, they went to collect the lawn chairs and cooler. With Shane leading the way and Ashlea following they walked along the path at the side of the house. Shane reached the front of the house and hear “SHANE, SHANE”. Quickly turning aroun, he realized: no Ashlea!! Had he lost her?? He couldn’t see her; she was just there a moment ago!?! He could still hear “SHANE” He walked towards the backyard and there she was!! Ashlea had fallen (stumbled) into the "vortex!!" (the window-well on the side of Steve & Cathy’s house). Shane (a.k.a. loving husband) helped her out, and they proceeded home. Upon arriving, their youngest child, noticing the cut and scrapes on her mommy’s leg, asked “what happened?” Ashlea replied: ”I fell into a “vortex” and was lucky to get out alive!! But it was a great party!!” Lesson Learned: “Heads up Rookie”... and avoid the vortex!! Life is full of them. * * * Ashlea: “Getting Autographs in Key West” It was a great boat ride with Eric Stone & Jerry Diaz – one of these “all-you- can-eat-and-drink” events . A great time was had by the Calgary phlock. Then we ended up at “Island Dog”, where tequila and jagermeister started flowing. Eric Stone (A Jimmy Buffett tribute artist, and also writes a lot of his own music that Gord, Cindy, Kevin & Sonja absolutely fell in love with last year in the US Virgin Islands) happened to sit down with us and partied with the Canadians. Next day, Ashlea has an autograph, “somewhere” that she doesn’t remember getting –- let's leave it at that. (thank God she didn’t go for a tattoo that evening.) Lesson Learned: Be careful about whom you ask for autographs, after Tequila So Parrot Heads: all great stories – however – the winner, hands-down, is Ashlea L. The Dumas was presented to Ashlea by Loralyne (the last recipient) at the Christmas Fundraiser. So Ashlea, congratulations from all your phriends in the phlock, and may you carry the Dumas proudly over the next year. Remember the 2011 Dumas will be up for grabs. So if you see/hear/are a part of anything crazy like the stories above, write them down and submit them to Ashlea as she will be presenting the award next year. Thanks to Loralyne for so brilliantly putting the submissions together on a poster board, which was up at the Christmas Fundraiser. However not everyone took the time to read the stories. Your writing is very clever, Loralyne. [And those of you unfamiliar with French pronunciation: Pronounce the award's name as "Doomah", not "Dumbass"!! Although we didn't actually name the award after the French author Alexandre Dumbass... uh... Alexandre Doomah! - Ed] Camping Trip 2010 Recap
After many years spent traveling to the same area, the North Ghost may become just that -- a ghost. The club has decided to scout out a new roost. We have always had great luck with the weather and attendance, so no matter where we go, JB tunes, tequila and tents will follow. So Loralyne, the "campout coordinator" is hoping for some suggestions. Email Loralyne:
Please renew your membership for 2011. It's easy! Just print and fill out the Membership Form and mail it off.
*Unless it's a Cheeseburger at McDonald's, and you do without the cold draft beer. (At least until they think of marketing something like "McBooze".)
CalPHC Charity Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) P.A.D.S. (www.pads.ca) is an organization that raises and trains dogs for assisting people with disabilities, thus helping people become more independent and have a better quality of life.
Let's continue our generous support for PADS in our upcoming fundraisers!
River Clean-Up
Thanks to all who came out for my 50th birthday phlocking at Shuckalucks. It was a blast. Thanks for the beautiful lamp and the cake was fantastic. Thank you to everyone who was a part of putting this together. It really will be something I remember forever. A huge thank you to Brian Neale and DJ Rocky for making the trip from Toronto to join the celebration. Thank you to Sherry and her staff Connin, Woody, Lea & Emily for looking after us so well. We raised $180 in the 50/50 draw for Haiti Relief which Dave has already donated to www.canadaforhaiti.com (as it was done before the 12th) the government matches our donation – so $360 will be going to Haiti Relief. Thank you to everyone who supported this great cause. Rich H. (he is my assistant’s hubby) won the 50/50 and donated his $180 back to PADS Calgary. Thank you Rick for giving your winnings back to PADS. Which brings me to – our newest pup on the Calgary scene – “Buffett” – a beautiful black lab who is going to be a very big black lab judging from his size
Re-Cap: 14th Annual Christmas Charity Drive The 2009 Christmas Food Drive and Silent Auction was another hugely successful event! As a club, we decided to sail away from our usual port-of-call -- i.e. the Toy Drive -- and threw our support behind the Calgary Veterans' Food Bank. Many veterans rely heavily upon donations. We collected a mountain of non-perishable food items, as well as cash donations. Thank you Calgary PHC!! We also raised $300 to support a family in need of a bit of Christmas cheer that season. Our silent auction as a fundraiser for PADS has surpassed $7,500 in the past 2 years, which has enabled the Club to sponsor 3 pups: "Tiki", "Monday", and "Buffett". (Refer to website www.pads.ca).  Resurrection of the "DUMAS" Award
What is the DUMAS* Award?, you may ask. The "DUMAS" award was inspired by a club member who accidentally backed up their car over a coffee pot while on a Parrot Head camping trip. The "Award" has been out of circulation for a while now, but with a club membership of 130 plus, "we" decided that it was time to dust off the trophy and start the annual competition. Anyone can be a contender, so nominate a worthy opponent. You never know -- you could be one! So when you see a fellow Parrot Head have a "Dumas" moment, make a note of it and submit it to Loralyne with "the story". Email: Note: Nomination deadline has been extended to June 7, 2010. We will present the Dumas Award at the Spring Phling. The trophy is actually a flattened metallic coffee pot with tire tracks on it.
Forget San Francisco -- We Headed
By Derek Last time I submitted an article for the newsletter, I was a Jimmy Buffett Concert Virgin, 05-Apr-2024 20 other crazy Calgary Parrot Heads. It was truly one of the great times of my life. DQ Dave's next great advice was "as much fun as you had in Vegas - you haven't truly experienced Jimmy until you see in at an outdoor concert". The long, long winter (that would never end) finally started to show signs of ending. Some members of the Phlock were starting to plan their next Phlocking to Vegas for the SummerzCool Tour Concert. DQ Dave was consistent with his message, and Bev and I were thinking we should try to see if we could make it work. Dave started looking at the schedule and it looked like the best fit was going to be "The Labour Day Weekend Show" in Manassas, Virginia. Before you knew it, Steve and Cathy and their son Shaun were all in. The phlocking was started. Vida posted on the "Coconut Telegraph" that there were 7 members of the CalPHC phlocking to Manassas, and could anyone pass on some suggestions. Before you know it, there were E-mails coming from 4 or 5 other PH Clubs, all offering up sugggestions, advice, and hospitality. What an outstanding community of people Parrot Heads are! All of us had different routes and arrivals, but met in Bristow VA on the Friday. Turned out that it is usually very hot at that time of the year, and once we checked in -- we headed to the poolside! After I dived into the water and came up, the first thing I heard was some JB tunes coming from the poolside. I looked up and saw some Virginia Parrot Heads, and even though it was only 1 PM, the Tiki Bar was open and it was 5 O'Clock somewhere. I met Tim and his crew from Virginia; they had been to the Thursday concert and were staying for the Saturday concert the next day. Their crew was incredibly well set up, so I asked how many times he had seem Jimmy play? His answer: He thought this was his 84th or 85th concert! Now this is one serious Parrot Head!! Through "The Coconut Telegraph" and Steve and Cathy, we had hooked up with the Washington Parrot Head Club. They said they had room for 7 crazy Canadians, and the fun was about to start. They had a bus going, a full day of tailgate partying, a DJ, and even had lined up some of the Coral Reefers to stop by and sign autographs for a meet-and-greet. We had large Canadian Flag like the one Vida had in Vegas -- a new tradition had started. As the bus rolled up to the Nissan Amphitheater, all I could see for miles and miles were RVs, trucks, cars, all tailgate partying. The closer we got, it became clear that Parrot Heads were tailgating to a whole other level. I saw Volcanos, Pirate Ships, Tiki Bars, Beaches, Pools, Bars, and any other thing that Jimmy mentions in a song. If he mentions it in a song, it was there in front of us and for as far as you can see in any direction. And it was still 5 hours to concert time! We hoisted up the Canadian flag where the Washington Parrot Heads were tailgating, and it became a gathering spot for fellow Canadian Parrot Heads, as well as the Canadian expats living south of the border. Onced again, we got all the Canadians (and whoever else that wanted) to sign the flag. We even got 4 of the Coral Reefers to sign it, and it now hangs proudly at our Happy Hours. Walking around the tailgate party was something that I will never forget. The outfits, the signs, the games, the music... But most of all, it was the energy and the fun that everyone was having -- and it was still hours until the concert! Before I knew it, the doors opened and in we went to grab our piece of turf on the grass to experience one of the best times of my life. The party had just moved inside the amphitheater. Soon the whole complex was full of beach balls being tossed around. Finally the stage lights went on and out came the band. Just as Jimmy as about to start, a full moon was coming over the back of the seats and the grass, and with the picture on the big screen and Jimmy talking about "what a perfect way to start the Labour Day Weekend Show." Three hours later, and after a ton of his oldies, the show was eventually ending. What a night! I had a smile on from start to finish. We headed back to our bus to meet up with our Washington Parrot Heads for the ride home. The crazy Canucks took some flack heading onto the bus, but they were great hosts and really looked after us. In fact, when we were getting dropped off at the hotel after the concert, they all started singing "Oh Canada" in our honour. We must have done something right! We headed back to Calgary the next day, and our "most excellent adventure" had ended. We quickly exchanged pictures with the group, and now have them as great memories. Bev's comment before we headed out was that we couldn't be doing this every year. Well, it was less than a week after we were home and at the next Happy Hour that she asked: When and where were we going to go next year? So fellow Parrot Heads, there is a group starting to plan the next great outdoor Buffett concert next summer. The more the merrier!! Until then, Phins Up! 2009 Spring Phling Report Another great time was had by all who phlocked to our 14th Annual Spring Phling at Swigs Pub. We were entertained by the pH Unbalanced Band and were also treated to a visit by Calgary's Finest as someone complained about the noise... Most of us haven't been to a "cops-showing-up" kind of party in 25 years. Well done, Calgary Parrot Head Club! We also raised about $4100 for PADS Calgary which is the most that we have ever raised for an organization. A great job by all who helped out -- Thanks everyone! An event like this doesn't just happen -- it involves a whole lot of teamwork. We should all be grateful that we have such a great group of Parrot Heads here in Calgary!!
Big News!
Margaritaville
See the News page Dis 'n' Dat: A note from our PADS Puppy-Raising Program in Calgary: Looking for Lost Leis: Thanks to Hosts! Introducing...
Click here (sign up for Facebook if you haven’t already), and in “Search”, look for "Calgary Parrot Head" and it will bring up the page.
by Vida V. (January 2009)
Well folks, the phun began as soon as I arrived in Honolulu on a Wednesday afternoon. Went for a beer at Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber (in Waikiki) and ran into another one of us Parrot Heads: Nora from Minnesota. And she had just been to the Maui show, so we got all caught up on that. Then on Thursday, there was the "private concert". (thank you again George for setting that up for me). All I can say was that it was an absolute experience. Only 500 people, and JB and the Coral Reefers, who played for two hours -- unbelievable!! One of those lifetime experiences that will stay with me forever. Met some great Parrot Heads from all over, and have been in touch with all of them -- we really are a community!! Thank you to Kerry (the General Manager at JB at Beachcomber) and all his staff; they treated me wonderfully. Made a great friend in bartender Deb at the Surf Museum at JB's, which is a pool bar where a lot of Jimmy's surf boards are. Also went on a catamaran a couple of times... just played in the water for a couple of hours -- again lots of phun. Then on Monday, I stopped by the Surf Museum to say to Deb -- and she says to me "Vida, 10 minutes..." JB had popped in to ask her to look after his bar. That's as close as I have ever come to meeting him, and that is the way I want to meet him. The next few days -- hung out with Deb as she was off work, and explored Waikiki. Got home the following Thursday night. - Vida
President-of-Vice Dave A. will now (as of February 2009) be President-of-Vice / Treasurer. Thanks to Dave for helping out!
Toy Drive 2008 On Saturday November 22, 2008, Friar's Pub welcomed us with open arms to hold the club's 13th Annual Christmas Charity Drive. This year's recipients were the Cerebral Palsy Association of Alberta. A huge thank-you to Pam and her gang, along with a lot of the regulars from Friars, and of course all the Parrot Heads that night. We collected approximately 240 gifts for the well-deserving group. The World Parrot Refuge on Vancouver Island received the proceeds from the 50/50 draw. The pH Unbalanced Band kept us going all night long, so there was a very thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning!
A Longtime Parrot Head's First Jimmy Buffett Concert (Anonymous; adapted from Calgary Parrot Head Club Newsletter) I have been a hardcore Parrot Head ever since my first Jimmy Buffett album "A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean" was purchased in 1977. Having to use my calculator, that was 31 years ago. Much to my dismay, I had never seen Jimmy live -- until last month in Las Vegas. My wife Bev and I took the opportunity to phlock to Vegas with a group of about 20 from the Calgary Parrot Head Club. Since we joined the Calgary club 3 years ago, we have heard numerous stories and escapades about other member phlocking to see Jimmy. When Vida started to organize the 2008 phlocking to Vegas, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. This was going to be the trip to lose my Jimmy Buffett "virginity". Thursday was spent shopping at Margaritaville (surprise, surprise), and was the "official" start of a weekend to remember. Friday was the "Last Man Standing" party hosted by the Las Vegas Parrot Head Club". They sold 1000 tickets to phlocking Parrot Heads, not just from the U.S. or Canada, but from around the world. The event was held poolside at Hooters. Vida brought a Canadian flag and we positioned it on a palm tree by the bar (where else??). Needless to say, it attracted many other Canadians and expats who came over and signed the flag. We made sure that everyone knew there were "Crazy Canadian Calgary Parrot Heads" invading Vegas. There were three great bands, cold Landshark beer, cheeseburgers, and 1000 of the happiest, craziest people I had ever seen. The highlight was when five members of Jimmy's band showed up and played for hours. Michael Utley was having a blast, the girls were belting it out, and the slide guitar and steel drums were being played by the "real band." What a hoot!* Saturday, we saddled up our sea-horses and headed to the Margaritaville Street Party. The blocked off the street beside Margaritaville and turned it into the biggest street party this Parrot Head has ever seen! If that wasn't enough to get the phlock primed for the concert, there was another party at the MGM Grand which we also attended. By this time, the Canadian flag was carried by many CalPH members, and the number of signatures was growing. More food, more drinks, more friends, more costumes ... It was close to 8:00 PM -- the time I had been anticipating for more than 31 years was almost here. Gord and Cindy, Bev and I took our seats. It is tough to put into words the atmosphere of 1,000 parrotheads all in one arena -- what a concert!! What an event!! I couldn't believe how talkative Jimmy was. The band was fantastic, the costumes unbelievable, the crowd all singing every word to every song. Jimmy was phenomenal. The wait was worth it, the expectation, all so high, all met and shattered. I still break into a smile when I think of the concert. The best thing about my losing my Jimmy Buffett virginity was experiencing the event with 20 or so other Calgary Parrot Heads. New friends were made, existing friendships made stronger. Thanks goes to Dave for the great advice about "Pace Yourself!". My word of advice: If you get the chance, go and see Jimmy while he is still doing this. I know for this Parrot Head, the second time will be better and I can't wait. Seeing Jimmy, well that's what living is to me!!
In October 2008, while fellow Calgary Parrot Heads were partying it up in Las Vegas, I was on a week-long cruise on the west coast of Mexico with the kinfolk. The ship was Holland-America's “Oosterdam”, and we disembarked from San Diego, and docked at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. And as expected on a good tropical cruise, the Jimmy Buffett influence was omnipresent. For starters, there was a Jimmy Buffett Tribute event in the piano lounge. The pianist was actually the cruise director, who played most of the requests by heart. There was also a Jimmy Buffett trivia contest on the Lido aft deck, with the DJ playing the Songs-You-Know-by-Heart album in the background. I did very badly in the trivia quiz --even though I was the one who created this website's quiz on the "Phun" page! In my defense, the DJ's quiz had too much emphasis on Jimmy's private life; e.g. "What is his eldest daughter's name?" (Answer: Savannah). The grand finale show in the ship's concert hall was called “Escape”, a musical with guess-which-Rupert-Holmes-song as the underlying theme. The musical included 3 Jimmy Buffett songs: Margaritaville, Fins, and Changes in Latitudes. My only complaint – and I wrote it in the guest comment card at the end of the cruise: Whoever was writing the daily schedules was spelling Jimmy Buffett’s name with only one “T”! - Mark P.
Several CalPHC members had an amazing few days... The Las Vegas PHC Last Man Standing Party was just great, with several live bands that played a lot of Jimmy tunes. The setting was great, being around the pool with our Canadian flag draped over a Palm Tree. The street party on Saturday put on by Margaritaville was a long day with lots of phellow Canadians signing our flag with a few token wanna-be Canadians. It was a huge hit and made it home this year.
Parrots of the Caribbean played 4 shows during this year's Stampede on the Coca Cola stage. On Saturday July 12th, a few of the phlock gathered to watch the show in full parrothead costume along with a few incognitos. We couldn't ask for a better day. The sky was clear, the sun was hot, and the music was great. The only thing missing were boat drinks! Cap'n Jack made an appearance, and after some horsin' around, he lead us in a conga line to "Fins". After the show we went backstage and met the guys in the band. Vida gave them all Calgary Parrot Head T-shirts.
A huge thank-you to Bev & Derek, Cathy & Steve, and Gord & Cindy for making our summer here in land-locked Alberta fun with barbeques and golf tournaments. The camping weekend in July were enjoyed by the more adventurous and "outdoorsy" members of our eclectic group of "people our parents warned us about". Thanks goes to Loralyne for making the arrangements!
Nothing worthy to note of the trash found (save for parts of the Ninth Avenue Bridge found underneath the Ninth Avenue Bridge...); we didn't find a pop top but did find a pair of flip-flops. All that trash-collecting made for a might thirsty and hungry Parrot Heads. We headed back to the Hose-and-Hound for a cheeseburger and a round or two. It ended up being a great day weather-wise, considering that we had snow on the previous weekend...
Toy Drive 2007 Well another successful toy drive is behind us. We delivered 275 toys to the Salvation Army Children's Village together with cash of $90. Thank you to all of you that contributed to make this our most successful toy drive yet. Sun Life Financial got on board with us this year and we are proud to say that they came up with 50 toys. Friars also got on board with us this year and Kim was able to collect, from staff and regulars, $600 with which she went shopping for toys. Thank you, Sun Life and Friars, for for your support of our 12th annual toy drive. A huge thank-you goes out as well to all of the elves who helped with decorating, manning (or womaning) the door, selling 50/50 tickets and everyone who jumped in and helped! Events like this don't just happen -- it is very much a team effort and we thank you all. Thanks again to Friars for hiring the pH Unbalanced Band and taking on that expense -- as that makes a huge difference to the Calgary Parrot Head Club. Annual Spring Phling 2007 The Spring Phling event raised $1500+ for the Salvation Army Children's Breakfast Program and we couldn't have done it without the help of a lot of Parrot Heads, Pirates, and Fruitcakes who pitched in and 50/50 tickets, raffle tickets, and just showed up to have fun. Again we would like to thank everyone who help out with the organizing, decorating, ticket selling, drinking, and dancing. Let's make more memories at the next Annual Spring Phling.
This year's camp-out with the changes in lattitudes and changes in attitudes, turned out to be a big success. Our club may have found its own little camping Margaritaville and it's called the North Ghost Provincial Recreation Area (at least for the last 2 years). The weather was great, the water and the beer cold and refreshing, and we couldn't have asked for a better phlocking of Parrotheads. La$ Vega$
Saturday was one party after another until showtime. We all met at the street party at the gigantic Candian flag that our fearlesss leader Vida brought. Not only did our group congregate at the flag, but we found many more Canadians in town for the concert. We met Canadian Parrotheads from Newfoundland, Winnipeg, and Campbell River, to name a few. We even found a few more Calgarians that had no idea that our club existed. We partied all afternoon long in great weather. We took overship of the sandbox with the shark fin and sign pointing to Margaritaville. There was the hat-decorating contest along with a hula contest. Roy "Cap'n Jack" Reid was on stage doing the hula along with three other women. Jimmy's videographer was out and about, and took tons of film at the street. "Cap'n Jack" and Rob and Cathy's son Clint made it on the big screen at the concert. After the street party, we all taxied to the MGM Grand for the pre-concert party behind the arena. Lots more fun was had. Finally, it was concert time, and all that can be said was he did not disappoint. He played many songs from his new CD, "Take the Weather with You", along with old favourites and stand-bys. He even played "Buddy Bear". Needless to say, the huge sing-along ended much too soon. Oh well , we'll just have to wait until next year's tour, and until then, "Fins Up"! Recap of the 2006 Christmas Toy Drive:
Parrots of the Caribbean: A Jimmy Buffett tribute band from Ohio by the name of "Parrots of the Caribbean" was in town at Frank $i$$on's on February 16. A lot of fun was had (check out the "Photos" page!). 05-Apr-2024lished by Wendy D. and Loralyne M.) Jimmy at Bankie Banx Dune Preserve (Anguilla, BWI):
And then it was finally here -- Saturday March 24th, 2007: The day of the concert, right on the beach. We proceeeded to the show (in costume of couese!); the gates opened at noon and the show started at 3 PM sharp. It was hot, hot, hot! Wow, what a day! There were lots of Parrot Heads from all over the US, some Ottawa Club member (Nat and Erin), and some Toronto Maple Reefers. Our whole group became Canadian for the day with phins sporting Canadian flags. A DVD was made of the show, and you will certainly notice the Canadian presence! Jimmy acknowledged us several times, and even sang "it's not the Canadians' damn fault!" in "Margaritaville". It was an event that I am so thankful that I was able to experience. Thanks to Mo in St. Maarten for looking after the arrangements for our phlock. If Jimmy does this again next year, I suggest that the opportunity not be missed. Phins to the left! - Vida The Alzheimer's Run and Walk
The Alzheimer's Run and Walk on Thanksgiving Weekend showed a 100% increase in participation in 2005! Yes, it may be an early morning for some of you, but for the past 4 years the weather was here, wish you were beautiful. Vida and Loralyne were the banner bearers this year for the walking part of the event, followed closely by libations on the outdoor patio. So mark it down for 2006 on your list of club "to-do's" and come along... Let's have some fun -- the turkey will be there when you get home! Jimmy Buffett Concert in Toronto - June 13, 2005 Recap from Vida, Cathy, and Rob, with parakeets Clint and Garret.
Phun tickets in hand, we arrived in T.O. to some high temperatures in the late 20's-30's on the Sunday before the concert. The Valhalla was the host hotel of choice of the Toronto Maple Reefers PHC. Upon settling in, signs of Parrotheads were everywhere: Cars with "Corona-Fed" gas tanks proclaiming "Buffett or Bust", many disoriented tropically-dressed people, beer stores sold out of Coronas, and a group of "gypsies in the palace" partying by the pool. We felt right at ease!! Settling in with [with "CARIB" as a "sub" beer] we met Parrotheads from all over Canada and the U.S. Although we may have missed some of the "all-weekend" events, we did manage to partake in the "mermaids-of-the night" party at the host hotel that night. We sang and drank and played our hearts out on the various drums and instruments provided. We met most of the T.O. "Bored of Directors" who were quick to commend our club for being the longest standing in Canada. Yay us!! The pre-partying set the mood for the best day yet to come... Concert Day! Donning our best Hawaiian gear and our newly made "Tropical Cowboy Hats" (see this website's "Photos" section"), we proceeded to catch the last "tiki" bus to the tailgate party at South Beach in Ontario Place. The tailgate party was a big hit where the band "Northern Harbor" played Buffett tribute and were joined by Michael Utley for a song or two. The pre-concert torrential downpours at the tailgate did not dampen any spirits, just a few grass skirts!! The rain tapered to a few drops through the concert on the sold-out crowd of 16,000; Jimmy's awesome line-up was 23 songs and 3 encores! Jimmy referred to the Maple Reeferes PHC often and a concert highlight was bringing Maritimer Lenny Gallant on stage to join Buffett in "Mademoiselle Voulez Vous Danser". We never sat down thru the whole concert, and after wowing us for an amazing lengthy concert of over 2 hours of playing time, Jimmy vowed to return to T.O. Although we never ran into phellow Calgary Parrotheads Kevin and Laurie, they did say that they had a phantastic time as well, despite the rain. Well... the songs in our heads went well onto the night, the next day, and the next week; the vision of Jimmy and the Lighthouse Set are forever stored in those "one of" memories. Even Clinton and Garret sang the songs locked in their heads for days to phollow. Cheers! Let's do it all together next time! (It'll save me the concert review!) Spring Phling 2006:
River Clean Up:
Camping Trip:
Once again, the annual camp out on July 21-23, 2006 was a huge success! Thanks to Loralyne for organizing this event once again and getting us some great sites at the North Ghost River Recreation Area (and thanks to Kevin and Lori for suggesting it!). There were at least a dozen parrot heads and parakeets, and probably the same number of 4-legged friends! We were a short stumble down a very steep hill to the river, which was lucky for Robbie, as the boys took great joy in filling his shorts with mud. The weather was hot, the sites were fantastic, and a good time was had by all. We all participated in all of the "B's": Buffett, BBQ, and Boat drinks, in addition to Big food, Bonfires, Bad jokes, Bailey's shooters... The only thing lacking was more parrot heads. Maybe next year?... Phins up. Golph Tournament
Well, the phirst Golph Tournament turned out to be a modest but enjoyable affair. A grand total of eight golphers signed up for this soon-to-be-classic round of golph; Bill S., Allen and Wendy D., Len and Shannon S., Brian and Karen R., and Dave A. The first tee time was at 12:25 and we were off. As we finished the first 9, the sun was out in full force, and found the players shedding some feathers. By the time the final 18 were finished, the afternoon heat was positively tropical. The players flockd to the clubhouse patio to sooth scorched throats with beverages and rations, and to relive a fine afternoon in the country. This year's format was every parrot for themselves! Brian R. took the best score of 86, then Len at 88, Allen at 91, Shannon at 101, etc. etc.. Shannon took longest "phlight" and closest to the "roost, Wendy took the longest putt (the only time that she didn't double-par on the green!), and Bill & Wendy could not keep their golf balls out of the ocean, or off the beach! We would like to thank Wintergreen for hosting our event, and our sponsors for the prizes and helping us put on a great tournament; Colleen D., Dave A., EnMax, and an anonymous donor. Thank you for your generosity in making this a great start to what will be many more tournaments to come. We would appreciate any feedback and ideas for future fund-raising tournaments; let's make this an annual event! Note: The above news articles were adapted from the newsletter published by Wendy D and LoraLyne . More Not-So-New News: Congratulations once again to Debbie and Gene, who tied the knot last summer (2007)! * * * * * Summer BBQ: A big thank you to Cathy and Steve for opening their house and yard for a phlocking BBQ. (2007) Chuck attended and entertained us all with many songs we knew by heart! * * * * * Newlyweds: Joanne and John C. got married May 20th, 2006 and finally phled on their honeymoon on July 30th. Yahoo!! * * * * * New CD: Jimmy just released a new CD -- that's right, the new album "Take The Weather With You!" is almost here. Featuring 14 songs, the album is available for pre-order on Mailboat Records! Not quite in Canada yet, we hear. * * * * * New Members: We have had lots of new members join us in the last 6 months, including one from Thailand and two from St. Maarten. Welcome to all! * * * * * An Impromptu Happy Hour was held at Friar's Pub on July 28th, 2006 with long-time CalPHC member Maureen M. (Mo, from the hit website "Where's Mo") and friend Rob as guests of honour. It was a great event with about 25 people phlocking!! Good to see you Mo! * * * * * Parrot Heads fly the Calgary Coop Long-time CalPHC members Rob and Cathy M. with their parakeets Clinton and Garrett, have phlown to warmer climates and are now residing on Vancouver Island. Cathy does fly through our fair city once in a while; we hope that we stll have a chance to share some time and down some Coronas with them. They will be missed...
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Our first organizational meeting was at Kaffa Coffee & Salsa House, August 26, 1996. A group of members established a membership package and discussed upcoming events, our first being the September 22, 1996 Alzheimer’s "Thanks for the Memories" walk. PHiP also picked up on Memory Walks from other communities. 
There has been a terrible cold like flu going around and it seemed that it has struck our members with a vengeance. Unfortunately, we only had approximately fifty members out for our Annual Christmas Party “With a Purpose”! 
at we were helping to make 5550 seniors in our city enjoy the Christmas season. It was a great way to bring in the Holiday spirit in all of us who attended. 
There were all sorts of palm trees, margarita glasses, shark fins, tropical flowers, leis, flamingos, signs for Margaritaville and anything else that you could think of, when you think Jimmy Buffett, that covered golf carts. Everyone was in fine spirits!
Fundraising for Fire Fighters' Burn Treatment Society
Thank You!
All Hail our 
Buffett is a two-year old Labrador Retriever belonging to Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) of BC. He recently graduated as a Breeding Dog for PADS, joining a select group of dogs that carry the genes for the best temperament traits in the Assistance Dog world.
Last Man Standing Party - Vegas 2012
On November 20th, 2010, Parrot Heads phlocked to Shuckaluck's for the 15th Annual Christmas Charity Drive. Again, this year, the club decided to support Calgary's Veteran's Food Bank. A van full of non-perishable food items was collected, along with $200 in cash donations. The Silent Auction raised $2,000 for PADS, and another $200 was raised through 50/50 ticket sales for food for our Crimson Rosella parrot at the zoo. Despite the inclement weather, we Parrot Heads sure know how to party with a purpose! 
CalPHC raised lots of funds for PADS Calgary at the Spring Phling on June 13, 2009; see 
Community involvement has always been an important focus of this club. This year, it started when a phlocking of 26 members served lunch at the Calgary Drop-In Centre, in March and again in April. Great job for all who supported!! Your club is open to any suggestions of a project that is near and dear to your heart, that a group of 20 or more could help out and make a difference for a few hours. Let any of the "Bored of Directors" know, and we can make it happen.... 
right now. So now as a result of our fund raising efforts in 2009 for PADS Calgary, we have 3 puppies being raised in the Calgary area: Tiki, Monday & Buffett. Make sure you make a point of saying hello to them as you run into them on field trips or just out and about town. 
Our New
"A Virgin Looks at Jimmy"
Parrots of the Caribbean at the Calgary Stampede 
On Sunday May 4, 2008, 14 members of the Phlock met bright and early at the Hose-and-Hound to participate in Calgary's 41st Annual Pathway and River Clean-up. After a quick cup of java, compliments of the Hound, we hit the banks of the Elbow River and spent a couple of hours picking up trash. 
The Calgary Salvation Army was the grateful recipient of a truckload (literally!) of toys accumulated at Friar's Pub on November 18th, 2006. The focus of the evening was the gathering of toys, but the phestive and phun mood was enhanced by our lively and talented pH Unbalanced Band, who belted out the tunes. From start to finish, the evening was filled with merry-making and margaritas, conga lines and coronas, phriendship and phun! A huge thank-you to the members of the club who so generously donated toys--you certainly made a child's Christmas wish come true. 
The party started Thursday night in St. Maarten, where Mo and Rob (our St. Maarten parrot heads and members of CPHC) had arranged a party for a phlocking of Parrot Heads; there was a great turnout; well-done Cheeseburger Hat, Mo! On Friday, our group of 15 ferried over to the beautiful island of Anguilla, where we check into apartments right on the beach and proceeded to provision.The pre-concert party was that night at Frangipane's on the beach with cheeseburgers and corona's, and lots of phun!
In light of the recent cold snap, it may be difficult to remember the last Spring Phling. So think back to May 6, 2006, and remember tank tops and flip-flops, cut-offs and Hawaiian T's, Coronas and Margaritas.... It was all there at the Key West Bar & Grill as we celebrated our 11th Annual phlocking to raise some funds to support the Breakfast Program for the Salvation Army Children's Village. It was an evening of fine tunes belted out by our favourite pH Unbalanced Band to a full house of new and old (original?) Parrot Heads and phriends. Congratulations and thank you to all who supported the Spring Phling and a big thank you to all who helped with the organizing and selling of tickets, decorating the venue, organizing the raffle prizes and draws, selling 50/50 tickets, memberships, T-shirts, lanyards, etc.. Outstanding job, you know who you are!! Apart from all the fun and frivolity, a lot of hard work goes into this event. We had some new members join the phlock, so our membership is around 75--which is just awesome!
Pat yourselves on the back for this one, Parrot Heads! The phlock showed up in record breaking numbers (16!) for this event, even though a few of us were flying a little "under the radar" after having ruffled our feathers on the dance floor the night before at the Spring Phling. Colleen made her PH TV debut when the CTV news crew singled her out (didn't we "volunteer" her?!) to be interviewed for the evening broadcast. Opening headliner on the 6 PM news (contrary to Al's thinking) and several minutes long, she did us proud; she's a natural! They got an excellent shot of Wendy's back sporting a CalPHC T-shirt logo, as they filmed us picking up styrofoam, newspaper, cigarette butts, and other interesting items from the river and bank. The morning concluded with the happy hoard phlocking to the Hose-and-Hound Pub for a round or two of beers and cheeseburgers on the patio. This is annual event, so join us next year as we make this important contribution to our community and city.
We had a date! Saturday September 23, 2006 at the Wintergreen Golf and Country Club at beautiful Bragg Creek, Alberta for the First Annual CalPHC Charity Golph Classic!
Jimmy Buffett won CMT Performance of the Year at the CMT Music Awards back in June 2011. Our heartiest congratulations to Jimmy Buffett and the Zac Brown Band!
Camping at North Ghost River: private and reserved site (good thing we were behind locked gates as to prevent parrots from escaping and unwelcome intruders (which we had anyways. Damn Park Rangers!). Approximately 20+ adventurous Parrot Heads braved the wild outdoors for this great event. Dampness on the Friday did not dampen the camping and partying for the rest of the weekend. The sun came out for Saturday and Sunday, and everybody got dried out (or at least the camping gear got dried out??). Most of the crew headed down to the makeshift beach by the river for a day in the sun. There were a few minor casualties which happened, flip flops floating away lost to the river gods, one of a Parrots not able to fly up the embankment, not hurting his wings but possibly his tail feathers, the odd drink knocked over, lost or just drank by another Parrot. Then darkness fell upon us. Oh my, our Parrots seemed to get a little more adventurous and “happy” resulting in, an awning being Christened by Johnny’s tiki-torch, a group of Parrots stripping off the feathers and terrorizing the group campground with their nakedness, unfortunately, one of those Parrots decided to “hit the tree before even making it out of the campsite, a lost dog, bumps and scrapes ,which are all part of the camping experience. Thanks to the trailer and 5th wheel crew for bringing the huge tarp, music and lights! Everyone had big fun and all made their way back home safely to YYC; all appendages intact (amazing). Let’s do it again next year!
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