Imagine this. You wake up one morning to find something rather unusual in your front yard. In fact, there are several strange things sitting there, gazing at you as you attempt to retrieve the morning newspaper. Hard pink bodies, skinny legs, black eyes. This must be a dream, right?
Actually, it’s far from it.
These strange visitors are actually here and they’ve come especially for YOU! Should you be afraid? Has someone spiked the coffee? Are you about to be abducted by aliens? Not at all. In fact, you should be quite flattered.
Someone you know has just “Flamingoed a Friend.”
It may sound out of the ordinary, but decorative lawn flamingos are popping up all over local neighborhoods as part of a special fundraiser for the Lake Highlands High School Marching Band, which is presently gearing up for a cruise to the Bahamas. As is the case with most trips of this nature, the organization needed to embark on a money raising project.
“The idea was completely generated by the students,” says Dee Weaver, whose son Matt is a senior trombone player. “Since this year’s trip is out of state, it’s going to take more money for everyone to go. A lot of ideas were thrown out, but the ‘Flamingo A Friend’ idea stuck.”
Weaver and other parents comprise the band’s Ways and Means Committee, which assists in all fund raising projects. Soon after the concept was formulated, a local businessman, Jerry Mazera of REMAX, was kind enough to donate a significant amount of money to get everything off the ground.
“His attitude was, ‘Yes, I will help you because I believe in the band program.’ But what I found to be so neat was that he doesn’t have any kids in the band right now. In fact, he hasn’t had kinds in the band in a very long time. He was still willing to serve as a sponsor,” says Weaver.
The “Flamingo A Friend” project is still flying high and having an affect on the community. Weaver says that a team of band members is assigned to “Flamingo” various friends throughout Lake Highlands according to guidelines set by both parents and band directors.
“Usually, they take around 50 flamingos or, if it’s someone’s birthday, they’ll take some to reflect how old a person is. They set them in the yard and a note is placed on the head flamingo saying, “You’ve been flamingoed!’”
The reaction has been quite favorable, so if there’s someone special you’d like to reward with a flock of plastic flamingos, call 214-348-4876 for further details.
“It’s a very creative idea,” says Weaver. “And I think it’s one that can continue through the years for future fundraisers. Our hope is that it will grow throughout the community, so when someone sees 50 flamingos in a yard, they’ll want to send 50 more to someone they know.”
