I’m looking forward to another summer of Parrot Head fun [aka PHUN!] at the lake with family and friends, and I hope that will include you! The Sun Valley Parrot Heads have planned several events for the 2024 season:
As always, we’ll be partying with a purpose. That means everything we do is volunteer led so your dues can directly benefit our neighbors in Ringgold, Decatur, Union and Clarke counties. Last year, we gave away $16,222! Our dollars helped our neighbors with several important projects, including:
Sunday afternoons at Sun Valley Lake can be especially peaceful. Many of the lake guests and members who spend the weekend here head home in the late afternoon to their other life in the city.
In the summer of 2010, four neighbors on Hummingbird Lane often met at "The Pub" to wind down. Many grand plans and schemes were formed on those quiet Sunday afternoons, including one idea that is still going strong after 12 years - the Sun Valley Parrot Head Club.
The Parrot Head club has hosted parties, fundraisers, music, and numerous other events. In these activities, it has also raised more than $150,000 in contributions to local Sun Valley Lake community charitable organizations.
The Parrot Head Club motto is "Party with a Purpose". For more than 12 years (as of this writing) this Club has fulfilled its motto, and the Club looks forward to many more years of fun and support for the Sun Valley community!
Click the Pirate ship link to contact the organization with questions or comments.
More Parrot Head History
Scott Dean and Mark Matteo owned the neighborhood cabin that everyone called "The Pub". They enjoyed fundraising in Des Moines and talked of doing something at the lake. Neighbors Todd and Melana Beuse were at "The Pub", telling about a big parrot head event they'd attended in eastern Iowa earlier that spring. Todd suggested having a club like that could be a fun way to gather and meet new people at the lake. Since parrot head clubs combine fundraising with social activities, it seemed a perfect fit.
The Sun Valley Parrot Head Club (SVPHC) was created that day in 2010 and plans were made to have the club officially begin on 10/10/2010. Soon thereafter, the club was granted tax-exempt 501(c) (3) status by the IRS. They agreed to "Party with a Purpose" and vowed that all the money raised would benefit our local community. It was a success!
Todd would serve as the first club president followed by Scott, Mark and Melana. Following in the footsteps of the founding four have been SVPHC presidents Mary Kramer, Jill Rodriguez, Susan Koons, Brain Kading, Paul Funke, Kerry Funke, Phyllis Shoop, Mike Mahoney, and the current president, Cherry Vos. At our first meeting, with about 45 club members in attendance, SVPHC was proud to present the Union Township Fire Department (Ellston) with a check for $2000 to be used for equipment at their station. You can find more stories and information about the club at Sun Valley Parrot Head Club.
Want to become a member? Click either of these pictures to fill out the Club application form. Once completed, you'll be contacted about being part of this organization.
