BIG NEWS Parrot Heads! In case you haven’t already heard, Holly (Rule) Martinez and her husband Chris just welcomed their new baby boy, Maddox, into the world today! I know you all join us in being just thrilled for the new parents, and for new grandparents Todd and Maureen Rule! Congratulations everyone!

While it pales in comparison, we also have a lot of news today about our St. Patrick’s Day Parade float build. Building starts this weekend, so if you’re free, consider coming by and lending us a hand. You can also stop by the build site to pick up your parade wristbands, or to drop off beers for your hardworking CPHC build crew. Whatever the reason, we would love to see you there. Read on for all the float build details.

Build Day Info:

This weekend we’ll be working on the float on Saturday 2/27 and Sunday 2/28 from 10AM until around 4PM. This year we’ll be building at Pete Grosskreuz’s house at 5461 Marshall St, Arvada CO 80002.  Please be aware, there is room for around 8 cars in Pete’s driveway, but once that fills up you will need to look for nearby parking in the neighborhood. Please DO NOT PARK at Jordan’s Time To Eat Restaurant, behind Pete’s house. The restaurant parking lot is adjacent to Pete’s backyard, so you can pull in there if you need to drop off anything large or heavy, but don’t park in their lot.

Things You Need To Bring:

  • Tools, including saws, saw horses, drills, hammers, etc. We also could really use some extra jigsaw or palm sanders if you have them, to cut out and sand all our float “critters.” Please label any tools you bring so they don’t get lost.
  • Work gloves. Because splinters suck.
  • Paint brushes. We will have a bunch but you can almost never have too many.
  • Snacks. We will be grilling burgers and hot dogs for lunch, but if you want to bring any chips or side dishes, that would be great.
  • Beer! Because you can’t have a proper Parrot Head event without beer!

Things You Need To Know:

  • The weather should pretty warm this weekend, but it can get windy or chilly. Dress appropriately, and please don’t wear anything you don’t mind getting dirt or paint on.
  • There is a lot to do, but it can take some time to organize what needs to be done and get everyone working on a project. There will most likely be some down time; please be patient. We appreciate you donating your time so we’ll do our best to keep you busy.
  • You don’t need to be an expert to help. Yes, we need builders and painters, but we also need people to hold things, carry stuff, and help with cleanup. Sometimes just being there and telling us we’re on the right track is great help! So if you can’t swing a hammer, we can still find a job for you if you want to help.
  • Please pick up after yourself, be mindful of your surroundings, and do not go inside Pete’s house unless he invites you. We are very appreciative of Pete and Robin for letting us use their backyard, so be respectful and maybe they’ll have us back next year. Since we’re working outside only, there will be a Porta-Potty you can use when nature calls.

After the Build Happy Hour at Hoppers:

Around 4PM-5PM after the build on Saturday, Chris and I will be heading up to Hopper’s for drinks if anyone would like to join us. We’ll have parade wristbands with us there, too, so if you need to pick them up please come on by. Support our sponsors!

Other Ways To Help:

If you can’t make it on the build weekends, we could still use your help. We will need volunteers to meet us at the staging area early on parade day for finishing touches. And as always, we need at least 2 volunteers to carry our club banner during the parade. If you’d like to help out with either of those things, please let me know ASAP.

Did I forget anything? If you have questions, please email me. If you’re wondering, someone else probably is too, so let me know.

Hope to see you Saturday!

Jeff Estes
President, Colorado Parrot Head Club