Parrotheads donate $3,000 to Ronald McDonald House

The Lowcountry Parrothead Club donated $3,000 to the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston on July 17 during the monthly meeting at Red’s Ice House on Shem Creek.

The 15-year-old organization also marked the inauguration of Dr. Bill Cromer as the newly elected club president. His two main goals are to increase member participation and raise public awareness about the Lowcountry Parrothead’s active presence in the community.

The local Parrothead group has been involved in charity work since 1997, and its first donation was a $10,000 check to the Alzheimer’s Association, which it continues to support. It also works in collaboration with Pet Helpers, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the Hospitality Heroes Fund.

“It’s a party with a purpose,” said Robin Sheek, one of the longtime club members.

Each year, the Parrotheads sponsor a mile of highway between Folly Beach and Crosby’s Seafood and a stretch of beach on Sullivan’s Island, regularly surveying the area and removing trash.

They also host the annual Mardi Crawl, a fundraiser on the last Saturday of February that combines a pub crawl with donations to several nonprofit organizations.