You've been flocked!
Flamingo-themed fundraiser helps youths to fly to World Youth Day
Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published August 31, 2007
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Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic
Pat Stover holds up three flamingos with which he's flocked some lawns this summer. |
Dearborn Heights — Youths and young adults in the Dearborn Heights vicinity are hoping flamingos will help fly them to Sydney Australia next year for the 2008 World Youth Day celebration.
And, no, they haven't gone mad.
The flamingos are actually plastic. They're part of a fun and successful fundraiser being waged by the St. Albert the Great youth group and others who are cooperating with the group to go overseas in August 2008 for the popular Catholic celebration for young people.
The youths place dozens of flamingos on the lawn of their typically good-natured victims. The victims then voluntarily pay a donation to have them removed or — as likely is the case — send the flock to a friend's house.
"It's building community in the church," says Carrie Walker, who with her husband Brian serves as youth minister for the parish. "It's more of a fun fundraiser, instead of some of the others that you work really hard for."
St. Albert's pastoral associate Richard Fron was one of the first to have a flock of flamingos descend on his lawn. He was "flocked," as it's called, during the parish's festival in mid-June.
"When I came home Friday night from the festival, they were on my lawn," says Fron, who coached and taught many of the children through St. Albert the Great school and the parish. "I guess I kind of expected I was going to get it sooner or later."
He even left the flamingoes up over the weekend so his grown children could see them when they visited.
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Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic
Youths and young adults who are going to World Youth Day in 2008 with St. Albert the Great show their flamingo spirit. To raise money for their trip to Australia, and for a little fun, they take donations to "flock" people's yards with plastic flamingos. In front: Holly Williams (left) and April Grzeskiewicz. In back (from left): Pat Stover, Gino Distefano and Donald Distefano. |
Then?
"I immediately sent them to one of my friends," Fron says. "I think it was a great idea."
Most people who get flocked agree that it's in good fun, the Walkers say. The fundraiser has been going on all summer, and so far just one complaint has been registered. Young people from other parishes, such as the nearby St. Mel's Parish in Dearborn Heights, also have formed teams to flock people from their parish community.
"The kids are raising money, the parishioners are enjoying it, some outsiders have come into it, too, and they all realize it's helping the kids reach their goal of making it to World Youth Day," says Fr. Dan Zaleski, pastor of St. Albert the Great. "It's a wonderful, charitable way of making a little profit for the youth group."
And for those in the locale terrified of what a flock of flamingos might do to their good name, flamingo insurance also is available for a donation. To flock someone, the suggested donation is $25. A $50 donation is suggested for flamingo insurance (which is not offered by the likes of AAA or State Farm).
So far, the teams have raised about $1,700 through the flamingo fundraiser.
"This is probably one of the most outrageous fundraisers we've ever done," says Holly Williams, a young adult who spent months on other fundraisers, such as fish frys and working concession stands at Detroit Tigers games.
Williams says she enjoys the thrill of the flock — and is on one of four flocking teams who usually work under the cover of darkness.
She does, however, have fears.
"I'm always afraid we're going to flock the wrong house," Williams says. "I always double check the address and everything. That's what I'm terrified of – that they're going to chase me down."
The flamingo squads haven't hit a wrong address yet, though they've been caught in the act a few times.
"Actually, last night we got busted," said youth group member April Grzeskiewicz. "We were putting flamingos on somebody's lawn and he pulled up in his car."
April is one of a few who's taken the flamingo fad to a different level. She dons a flamingo baseball cap, and has her own inflatable flamingo.
"It's fun," she says, giggling. "How many other churches do a flamingo fundraiser?"
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Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic
Flamingos surround the statue of Jesus on the lawn of St. Albert the Great's rectory. Pastor Fr. Daniel Zaleski was "flocked" in July. |
While the particular fundraiser is lighthearted, the goal is an important one for the young people. World Youth Day, which was started at the beginning of Pope John Paul II's pontificate, is held on a large scale every two or three years in a different part of the world. Past celebrations have garnered some of the largest crowds in the history of the world.
In a message to young people in July, Pope Benedict XVI stressed that youths carry an integral part of the Church's mission to evangelize the world. In Sydney, he says the million-plus attendees to World Youth Day will renew their baptismal vows and ask the Lord for the strength to spread His word.
"Together we shall invoke the Holy Spirit, confidently asking God for the gift of a new Pentecost for the Church and for humanity in the third millennium," the pope said in his message.
Unfortunately, a lowering in value of the U.S. dollar and rising transportation costs have made the cost of a trip to Australia a rising target. From the United States, it will take about $3,000 per person for airfare, the registration fee and accommodations.
The group at St. Albert the Great, for example, consists of about 30 people. The cost therefore would be about $90,000. So far, their fundraisers have raised about one-third the cost of the trip.
— Catholic News Service contributed to this story.
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