The 4th of July will be behind us, but let’s keep out the RED, WHITE and BLUE for a few more days and celebrate the GREATNESS of the USA!! The EIPHC will honor our country and patriotism during our July Phlocking on July 6, 2018 from 7-9 pm at the E-Club. We all know what a GREAT country we live in, so let’s forget about all things political and come together to celebrate in the traditional Parrot Head way….by Partying with a Purpose!! We will celebrate our country’s 242nd birthday and show our loyalty by donning our best PATRIOTIC gear and getting back to Making America Great by helping others!! Our 50/50 raffle will be donated to A Second Helping – Emerald Isle. This fantastic organization collects leftover food from vacationers as they leave the island on Saturdays and Sundays. Collected food items are then distributed to the needy in our area. You can continue to help by spreading the word that DROP OFF LOCATIONS AND TIMES ARE: Bert’s Surf Shop (across the street under the tent) 8:00am-11:00am or at Stir it Up Coffee 7:00am-11:00am every weekend. VOLUNTEERS are always needed and appreciated so you can sign up at http://asecondhelping-emeraldisle.com. Matt will be providing the free food and drink specials that we all look forward to each month and we should have a few “out of town friends” to join our celebration of AMERICA. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Strut your stuff and phluff up your pheathers! Wear your Buffet, Parrot Head, or Margaritaville favorites to the Friday night Phlocking, June 1, from 7 – 9 p.m., at the Emerald Club! Whether it’s hats, shoes or shirts, you’ll be looking good for all your phriends and to our visiting tourists searching for the “island escape!” In honor of this occasion, the EIPHC T-shirts will be sold BOGO 50% off for the first time ever! Great opportunity for our new and seasoned members to buy and wear right there! Also, look forward to Matt’s free food, cold beverages, and great music in a tropical setting! If that’s not enough, our 50/50 fundraiser is going to The Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day event to be held on June 16. Now this is how you Party with a Purpose!

“It’s important to have as much fun as possible while we’re here. It balances out the times when the minefield of life explodes.” These words from Jimmy Buffet ring so true for all of us, young and old! You can forget that the world has gone nuts when you’re having fun, great fun!

This past weekend proves that Jimmy is right! Our Beach Bike Poker Run Event was a huge success and everyone who participated, young and old, had fun, great fun! The pictures posted on Facebook reveal happy faces with beautiful smiles and people sharing a wonderful time celebrating life! Life is good when together we raised enough to write a check for $15,000 to the Semper Fi Odyssey Children’s Camp! Thanks to the 243 riders, the volumes of volunteers and our stupendous sponsors for this awesome opportunity to experience loads of fun and to “Party with a Purpose!” Raise your glasses!!! Jan Hicks

The Emerald Isle Parrot Heads are excited to be hosting the 15th Annual Beach Bicycle Poker Run in beautiful Emerald Isle, NC. This year the Beach Bicycle Poker Run will again be raising money for the Semper Fi Fund’s Kid’s Camp to send children of Wounded Warriors (Marines and Sailors) to camp for a week and pair them with a mentor for a year. 

The event will take place on May 19th, 2018. Beginning at the Emerald Club (located at 8102 Emerald Dr, Emerald Isle, NC 28594). Check In/Day of Registration begins at 11:30 am.

We will be having a bike decorating contest yet again! All bikes must be registered and ready for judging by 1:30 pm. 1st place wins $75, 2nd Place wins $50 and 3rd Place wins $25. The theme this year is BUFFETT BASH! Think all things Jimmy Buffett! Use your imagination! It could win you some cold hard cash!

Register online prior to May 11th for $20. After May 11th registration goes up to $25, online registration is available through May 15th. You can always register on-site the day of for $25.

The Poker Run will kick off at 2pm sharp! You will travel to 7 of our local establishments and draw a card at each location to try and form the best poker hand! You must be back to the E-Club by 5:00 pm to turn in your poker hand. Best poker hand wins $300, 2nd place wins $200, and 3rd place wins $100!

A live auction will be taking place prior to the announcement of the winning poker hands! We have a beach bike trike, a stay in Myrtle Beach and a deep sea fishing trip you could bid on and win!

*Due to the ever changing weather in NC, should we have a rain out your entry fee will be considered a donation to the worthy cause of Semper Fi Fund.
Register and buy your t-shirt today!!! Below is our shirt design and t-shirt color.

Go to the tab for registration, at the bottom click the register here text!   Don’t wait, register now and save money and time on the day of!

The group of 24 people on 6 boats spiffed up the sound islands on April 21st. They collected 44 large garbage bags of mixed trash- approximately 325 pounds! They also picked up 6 pop up canopies, beach chairs, 3 tires, 2 rugs, 10 hats and a life vest. It was hard work, in and out of chilly water. But the wind was calm and sun warm as they continued partying with a purpose on Pelican Island afterwards. Great job all of you!

FROM THE PERCH: Jan Hicks Shares her Thoughts:
May 2018

We are family! Yep, to achieve our goals, we work together and are united in every way. You may not think that we play a part in the “big picture,” but we really do! Our volunteers make amazing things happen when we Party with a Purpose!

James and I just returned from a trip to Margaritaville at Wyndham Del Mar in Puerto Rico. We were excited about visiting San Juan, not only to experience the fun of a vacation, but to see for ourselves the state of the island and its people. Wow, what a welcome we had beginning with frozen Margaritas at check-in. During the week, when asked, folks shared terrifying stories of the hurricane, how they dealt with it and how they feel now. Let me share just a couple…
From Jami: It was devastating, everything was black, no light, no phone, no radio, nothing worked. I have a 3-yr. old and live with my mother. The hotel was closed, and we had no jobs. However, this company (Wyndham) continued to pay those who could not rotate to other jobs. I rotated to Florida and worked for 2 months until I could come back and work here. I am so grateful!
From Roberto: I rushed home to save my dogs. The house was flooding like crazy. I knew we would die if we stayed. I lost everything I worked for all my life. Hey, but I got a job, I have my children and 11 grandchildren. I rent a small apartment and I’m still here (with my puppies)! I’m good.

There were so many more stories I haven’t enough space to share with you. The most memorable part of the trip will be the experience of meeting these brave people and leaving the beautiful island knowing that they have a positive outlook on themselves, their island and their future!

I can’t help but reflect on my family of PH’s and how our work contributes to the elderly, the homeless, the children, the less fortunate, the animals, the environment and so much more. Not only is our local club ranked 5th in the world (for 2017) with 511 members, but the PH Nation together experienced $4,067,644 in fundraising and 197,965 in volunteer hours for 2017! We are so blessed!

Please keep our Puerto Rican friends in your prayers. Oh yeah, we shared our stories and pictures of Parrot Heads with them and they know how to Party with a Purpose!

The Emerald Isle Parrot Head Club will be holding a new member social on April 25th at the Island Time Tavern (across from Rucker Johns in Emerald Plantation). It will be held from 6 to 9 PM. We are inviting all new members who have joined since October, 2017, but all members are invited. You will be responsible for your drinks, but the club will provide pizza. If you did not sign up at the April Phlocking,  please contact Sue (stonesend@gmail.com) or Maggie (maggie.rauschenberg@gmail) so that we are sure to have enough pizza. Email invitations will be sent out to all new members who have joined in the past 6 months.

The EIPHC will celebrate Earth Day with  a clean-up event. This year  the Surf Riders are also doing a sound side pick up and we are hoping to coordinate with them for this event. You can choose to help with the Highway Pick Up or the Boat Based sound side pick up. Details and sign ups were available at the April PHlocking and the boats that signed up are currently full. Please contact Val Johnson at gocoastalgirl@gmail.com if you have a boat, and/or can accommodate an eager crew! Ask your friends and neighbors too!
Our tentative schedule is for Saturday April 21st from 11-1:00, starting in the ICW off the EI boat ramp, heading west, with a gathering on Pelican Island afterwards!
If that Saturday doesn’t work for you, Bogue Banks Surf Rider Organization is planning a similar cleanup on Sunday April 22nd., cleaning the sound islands heading east. Let Val know if you need contact info for them.
If you prefer the land over the sea and have an hour to spare, please let Jean Jensen know that you can help with the Adopt a Highway event, the same day. Meet at the Emerald Club at 11 am for an hour or so for the litter pick up. Jean Jensen at belguimboy@aol.com or phone him at 607-759-7159.

Hi everyone!

Need to congratulate the approximately 30 hard workers, on 7 boats, who made this year’s spring Sound Sweep so productive!

44 large garbage bagfuls of miscellaneous cans, bottles, plastic and foam were collected from the ICW islands. Also several coolers, broken beach chairs and pop up canopies, boards, rugs, hats, etc. etc!

Then the “purposeful partying” continued over lunch on Pelican Island afterwards. Great work everyone!!