Several organizations came together recently to raise money for the first responders in Phil Campbell after the April 27 tornadoes.

The Isle O’Bama Parrothead Club, the Central Alabama Parrothead Club and Prattville’s Mellow Mushroom held a benefit on June 24 that brought in $2,591 that will go to the Phil Campbell Fire and Police departments.

The Isle O’Bama Parrothead club and the Central Alabama Parrothead Club are local chapters of the national organization Parrotheads in Paradise, Inc., which is a group of Jimmy Buffett fans who are dedicated to the tropical lifestyle the laid-back singer personifies. They also promote the “Trop Rock” music Buffett is known for.

Besides exuding the relaxed tropical lifestyle, these organizations are also involved in their communities and support different environmental concerns. They additionally provide a variety of social activities for their members.

The national PHiP organization as a whole reported contributions of over $2.9 million in 2010 and logged 215,000 volunteer hours.

According to club president Bo Evans, the Isle O’Bama Parrothead Club has donated more than $30,000 since their founding in 1999 to a variety of local and national charities under the moniker “Party for a Purpose,” and they weren’t going to let the recent tornado disaster in the state pass by without doing their part to help.

“We have some contacts with some of the state agencies that were involved in the tornado relief efforts and we asked them what areas had the greatest need,” Evans said. “We had a great desire to help in small towns that had not had the publicity of other places because we knew that places like Tuscaloosa would have plenty of attention and assistance and we knew that any donation we would give would go a lot further in a smaller area.

“We had a great deal of discussion of several areas and made the decision to help Phil Campbell essentially on a coin toss after it was narrowed down to Phil Campbell and one other very deserving location.”