The Western New York PHC

The Western New York Parrot Head Club has a great variety of things that they do for the community and an awesome group of individuals that work together as a team to make this the best club that can be.  I am proud of the club that I started back in 1997 and I am proud of the people that make up this great organization

David Cohen, President/Founder
Western New York Parrot Head Club

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The Western New York Parrot Head Club was founded in 1997 by David Cohen with the thoughts of getting some like people together in a community that always responded with the same "Jimmy who?" when asked if they knew who Jimmy Buffett was. We started off with a handful of members and with the goal to reach 50 by the end of the first year was successful.  We now sit at 175 members and have made a presence in the city that is both noted and respected by both the people and charitable organizations.  We have a board meeting/social every first Tuesday of the month and our monthly phlocking is every third Thursday of the month at 6:00 at Rafferty's in Cheektowaga, NY.
Our club has taken on many different ventures to help out the community and our accomplishment were recognized early by PHIP when we received the honor of The Golden Coconut in just our 2nd year of existence.
Western New York has had a great core of pholks for 11.5 years now and has built on that core each and every year.  The people in the Buffalo, NY area (and the surrounding areas of the members that belong to our club) have hearts of gold which show each and every time we help out at an event, show up to an event, or make a donation.
The list of things that we have done are numerous and would be to much to list.  Most notable, the club does a bowl-a-thon for Alzheimer's.  This upcoming year will be our 13th annual for this event.  Bowlers go out and get sponsors for bowling either on a flat donation or a cent per pin donation.  We have helped to raise over $40,000 dollars for Alzheimer's for this event.   On Thursday November 15, 2007, The Western New York Parrot Head Club received the 2007 Community Achievement Award from the Alzheimer's Association, WNY Chapter. Our other major event is our Chillin in the Caribbean event held every March (or as close to March as possible) were we have a local steel drum band play and a charity auction with prizes that were donated by each member of the board of directors.  Last year (2008) we were able to raise 1600 dollars and made a check donation to Kids Escaping Drugs.
Our presence at the food bank has made an impression as we show up with bags of food and a check each December (outdoors and in the freezing cold) with our shorts and Hawaiian shirts to the smiles of the local television channel.  Our ability to brave the weather in such attire earns us the right to be on live television every year at the bright and early time of 6:30 A.M.
Other charities and activities that we have been apart of is the Make-a-Wish foundation (our first major project as a club back in 1998), adopt a manatee,  adopt a highway, The MS walk, Docs for kids (where all the money earned at the event and tips to the bartenders - one who is on our board) is donated to the neonatal intensive care unit, Tour de Cure (a 100 mile bike ride for diabetes), and Beer pouring for Buffalo Place for the Thursday in the square concert series (and no, we are not allowed to partake in that beer)
Our club has supported many other clubs with their charity events to include Cabin Fever (Steel City Fins), CanUsa (Hamilton), various events in  Toronto, ca (Toronto), Key West Phest (Erie), and others.
With all that "Partying With A Purpose" we still like to have our fun.  The obvious trip to a Jimmy Buffett concert (or two or three or four.....) during the year, an annual catamaran ride on the great Lake Erie, MOTM, an annual football tailgate, indoor lacrosse gatherings, our yearly birthday/parrot head of the year party, and The St. Patrick's Day parade are just a few of the things we do.
The Western New York Parrot Head Club has a great variety of things that they do for the community and an awesome group of individuals that work together as a team to make this the best club that can be.  I am proud of the club that I started back in 1997 and I am proud of the people that make up this great organization.  PHins Up Western New York!