FINS UP!
The Chicago Parrot Head Club channels the fun and philanthropic spirit of late music legend Jimmy Buffett
It’s always island time for the Chicago Parrot Head Club. Instead of simply wasting away in Margaritaville, though, this group of local Jimmy Buffett superfans operates under the motto, “Party with a purpose.” They always keep the fun in fundraising, and in addition to French-fried potatoes, a big kosher pickle, and a cold draft beer, members make sure to add a side of service to their cheeseburger in paradise.
“The goal is always the same: good people, good music, good works, and good times.”
— Joe Klen, CPHC President
The Chicago Parrot Head Club (CPHC) raises money and awareness for numerous charities, and its approximately 150 members also engage in various volunteer opportunities throughout the year. The club meets monthly at Another Round Bar & Grill in Downers Grove, each meeting featuring social time, an agenda focused largely on planning for upcoming social and service events, and a 50/50 raffle. The winner receives half of the ticket-sale proceeds, while the rest is donated to a selected charity.
The CPHC also holds a weekend-long celebratory fundraiser called “Summer Chi-ILL at the Beach” (summerchi-ill.com). This year, it will be held July 31-August 2 at the Illinois State Beach Resort and Conference Center to benefit K9s for Veterans.
Parrot Head club members honor Jimmy Buffett at the Meeting of the Minds event.
The CPHC dates back to 1993, “when a group of Jimmy Buffett fans in the Chicago area realized that ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ needed a little more island attitude,” explained the club’s president, Joe Klen. “More than 30 years later, we’re still going strong – fins up, music on, and always looking for ways to have fun while giving back to the surrounding community.”
Buffett’s trademark changes in attitude (laid-back philosophy and focus on philanthropy) also proliferated beyond Chicagoland. Over 200 Parrot Head clubs operate today, “supporting live music and giving back through charity, whether being a local event, house concert, or traveling to other club events across the country,” said Billy Brehm, former CPHC president and current president of Parrot Heads in Paradise, Inc. – the board that oversees all Parrot Head clubs worldwide.
Members converge at the organization’s annual convention: Meeting of the Minds. This is a giant party in Gulf Shores (formerly in Key West), featuring live music, raising money for local and national charities and the club’s annual scholarship, and including elements like a blood drive and a walk to support breast cancer research. Through breakout sessions and informal conversations, members swap ideas with other clubs.
The Parrot Heads committed to “keep the party going,” even after Buffett’s 2023 death, explained John Sheridan, a CPHC member since 2011 and former club secretary.
While the CPHC’s roots are in a shared love of Buffett’s music and the island culture, there are no membership prerequisites. One needn’t own a boat or know all the lyrics to “Son of a Son of a Sailor” to join. “What matters most is a willingness to have fun…and help support causes bigger than ourselves,” Klen said. “Whether we are gathering at a monthly meeting, attending a house concert, raising money for veterans, or spending a weekend at the beach, the goal is always the same: good people, good music, good works, and good times.”
Right: CPHC board members from 2023 celebrate the club’s 30th anniversary. Doug MacArtney, past Treasurer; Kathy Sullivan, Charity Director; Jon Kotrba, past Communications Director; Joe Klen, President; Cheryl Wegner, Membership Director; John Sheridan, past Secretary; and Nancy Schreiner, Social Director.
Left: In 2019, over 15 years after Jimmy Buffett and the newly opened Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant in Downers Grove raised $65,000 for Good Samaritan Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
THE PERKS OF BEING A PARROT HEAD
“The Chicago Parrot Head Club is often described as a social club,
but it feels more like a phamily.”
— Joe Klen, President
“It’s a tight-knit community. It’s where we turn for friendships, mutual support, and impactful charity work.”
– Cheryl Wegner, Membership Director
“We’re never bored! There’s something for those who work and people who are retired, things for people with children or grandkids (what we call parakeet-friendly events).”
– Peggy Farrell, longtime member
“I have found being a part of the organization a way to make new friends as an adult – not related to work, or being a parent.”
– Angela Loveless, member since 2021
“You meet like-minded people, and there’s no judgment. I’ve met CEOs and custodians, and everyone’s treated the same. There’s no ranking at a tailgate party!”
– John Sheridan, member since 2011
“It has created a great sense of worth for myself by helping others through CPHC.”
– Christy Frisoni, member since 2021
“The people in the club are so fantastic and welcoming, and not just the local clubs but people from other clubs I’ve met.”
– Lora Bak, Treasurer
