Sanctioned Parrot Head clubs have collectively donated or raised millions of dollars and provided hundreds of thousands of hours to club sanctioned national and local charities. But, many of our members do much outside of club activities with their own efforts and we feel they should be recognized and rewarded.
Lone Palm Foundation is proud to support members of our Parrot Head family who do great deeds in their local community. The quarterly winners of the Home Town Hero program will be recognized nationally and Lone Palm Foundation will donate $500 in their name to the charity of their choice.
Home Town Hero, Quarter 2, 2025
Charles “Skip” Todd, Villages Parrot Head Club
Skip is a long time active member of the Villages Parrot Heads Club. Before Skip moved to the Villages approximately 15 years ago, Skip was a volunteer fireman, served as President, and is a life member of his Volunteer Fire department where he lived and worked in Long Island NY. He started and coordinated an Explorer program for JV’s wishing to enter the fire service and this made them all keep their grades up as they had to maintain certain grades to continue.
When Skip and his Wife Joanne moved to the Villages, Skip immediately joined the Villages Parrot Heads club and got very involved by becoming a board member as Events Trustee. He later has also taken on the responsibility of being our Blood Drive Coordinator and has been performing this task for over 10 years now. Because of Skip’s enthusiasm and passion for this endeavor, our club is now considered the number one blood drive in the state of Florida. Last year in 2024, we totaled over 2400 pints of blood at six – 2 day blood drives. Where one pint can help save the lives of up to 3 people, we feel that because of Skip’s hard work, we helped over 7,200 people.
Skip works tirelessly signing up and recruiting donors just about every day, and he still continues this. He always says that since he has retired from the Fire service he feels as this is his way of continuing to help others. We have lovingly nick-named him “Skipula” !!
Home Town Hero, Quarter 1, 2025
Jamie Benatti, Metro Parrot Head Club
Jamie is a long-time active member of the Metro PHC. In the past, he served on the Metro PHC Board of Directors in several positions. In addition to the time he spends participating in Club activities, Jamie volunteers for Operation SPLASH, which stands for Stop Polluting, Littering And Save Harbors. Operation SPLASH is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to Preserving Long Island’s south shore bays and waterways through cleanups, education, and advocacy.
For the past three years, Jamie has served as a volunteer for SPLASH. First as a mate on one of the boats. An avid boater, Jamie quickly became a captain. For the past two years, he has been a SLASH mentor, working with school children, taking them on field trips to the bays and wetlands, teaching them about the environment and how they can help protect our waterways.
Jamie designated SPLASH as the recipient of the $500 donation that Lone Palm awards on behalf of each Hometown Hero.
Thank you for your efforts, Jamie, and congratulations!
Home Town Hero, Quarter 4, 2024
Cassi Ohman, Lakes Area Parrot Head Club
Cassi Ohman, member of the Lakes Area Parrot Heads, exemplifies what it is to be a local hometown hero. Since 2008, she has devoted her life to the rescue of stray and surrendered animals in Becker County. Her commitment to improving our community by reuniting the lost and advocating for the unwanted hasn’t wavered since day one. She unselfishly manages the Marshmallow Animal Shelter, giving 110% of herself on a daily basis. She is someone who lives and breathes animal welfare. Fun fact, Cassi has the longitude and latitude of the shelter tattooed on her left shoulder. Now that’s dedication and commitment. The shelter intakes over 500 animals on a yearly basis and Cassi lovingly cares for each as her own. That is evident in the fact she personally has 16 dogs, 3 which are fosters, 8 cats, 6 of which are Marshmallow Animal Shelter rescues, 2 giant pigs named Scout and Lucy and 11 chickens of all breeds currently living at home.
Rescue is not a glamorous job. It is a hard job. It can be heartbreaking. Cassi sees abuse cases so severe that it would break most humans. The shelter mascot Millie is one of those cases. I am happy to say, Millie is a rehabilitated, happy and loving dog because of Cassi. Only an animal whisperer as herself could gain the trust and love of creatures who are abused and abandoned by their owners. Working long hours, for little pay and being on call 24/7 doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm for caring for the shelter animals. Cassi is a HOMETOWN HERO. She helps when animals are left tied to the fence out front of the shelter, when a box of kittens is left at the gate, when officers from seven surrounding communities drop off an animal for intake, when a dog has bitten someone and has to be quarantined per state law or when a chicken is found in the Walmart parking lot at Christmas time (another fun fact, I adopted that chicken and her name is Lady Lavender Clucks A Lot, she lays green eggs). But seriously, Cassi is always there to advocate for the animals. What would her community look like if those 500+ animals were left to roam the streets each year?
Cassi is an active member of the Lakes Area Parrot Heads in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. She volunteers on a regular basis and helps tirelessly with maCAWS for PAWS, one of her clubs biggest fundraisers each year and it truly is a Party with a Purpose.
The Lone Palm Foundation mission statement ends with: Inspired by the lifestyle and teachings of Jimmy Buffett, and with the assistance of angels in tropical shirts, we focus on leaving our world a better place for all.
The work Cassi does is invaluable and often unrecognized. But not today, Cassi is one of those angels in tropical shirts and today we honor Cassi as the first recipient of the Lone Palm Foundation HOME TOWN HERO program. Congratulations.