The Treasure Coast Parrot Head Club presented $500 checks to two charities which provide food to the elderly and needy families on the Treasure Coast during the club's July 1 Happy Hour at the Copacabana Grille on Hutchinson Island.

Cecelia De Filippis accepted a $500 check for the Treasure Coast Food Bank that distributes food to partner agencies to help alleviate hunger in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties.

Eve Joseph's and Mary Craig accepted another $500 donation for the Council on Aging of St. Lucie's Meals on Wheels program.

"Although we have an ongoing collection of canned goods that we collect throughout the year, our members wanted to do more," said Jeannine Johannes, president of the Treasure Coast Parrot Head Club. "The Meals on Wheels program and the Treasure Coast Food Bank are doing so much to help local families get through these tough, economic times and the Parrot Heads are very proud to contribute to their efforts."

The club is one of 233 sanctioned chapters of Parrot Heads in Paradise Inc., the international organization of Jimmy Buffett fan clubs, which collectively donated more than $3.1 million and 2.3 million man-hours to help communities, charities and environmental groups during 2008.

Treasure Coast Parrot Heads meet for Happy Hour the first Wednesday of every month at the Copacabana, bringing donations of canned goods and non-perishable food. During the first six months this year, the club donated 642 pounds of food to the Treasure Coast Food Bank.

Last year, the club donated $500 to the Council on Aging of Martin County's Meals on Wheels program and collected more than 900 pounds of food for the Treasure Coast Food Bank.

The club also sent cases of Girl Scout Cookies to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan earlier this year.

The Treasure Coast Parrot Head Club has more than 189 members from Jupiter to Melbourne. They wear tropical shirts and hats while enjoying Buffett's laid-back island escapism songs.

The club's motto is: "Party with a Purpose." So far this year, the Treasure Coast Parrot Head Club has donated more than $14,500 to charity.

For more information, visit: www.treasurecoastparrotheadclub.com