Flamingos return to area lawns

Local resident Megan Felt plants a pink plastic flamingo in the ground in front of the little white house near the entrance to Gunn Park on Monday to kick off the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Division's "Flamingo Frenzy" fundraiser that is designed to help promote tourism of Fort Scott. A flock of plastic flamingos will appear on the lawns of various local residents throughout August. Those who have been flocked must then contribute donations to the Tourism Division in order to have the birds removed. (Jason E. Silvers/Tribune)

The flock is making a return flight to Fort Scott this month.

"Just like the swallows returning to Capistrano and the buzzards returning to Hinkley, Ohio, the flamingos are returning to Fort Scott," a statement from the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Division said. "It's true, you may be driving down one of our city streets and there they are; flocked on someone's lawn. Don't be alarmed. It's just the Tourism Committee turning the 'dog days' of summer into a 'Flamingo Frenzy.'"

Throughout August, the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Division will be conducting the "Flamingo Frenzy" fundraiser, in which several of the pink plastic birds will turn up in yards of residents across the area. Money generated from the fundraiser is used to help promote tourism of Fort Scott, officials said.

"It's really a 'fun raiser'," Tourism Commitee Chairwoman Martha Scott said. "We raise a little money, but we have a lot of fun sneaking around and surprising people."

For a $25 donation, a person may have a friend, family member, coworker or boss "flocked" by contacting the chamber office at (620) 223-3566. Committee members will then choose a surprise date to place the flamingos in that person's yard.

The flamingos will remain in each targeted yard for a few days, and then wranglers will remove the birds for placement in another yard. Those who have been flocked may donate $25 to the chamber to have the birds removed from their lawns and, upon removal, the wranglers will offer them the chance to provide the names of others as possible targets for flocking.

Scott said funds generated by the "Flamingo Frenzy" fundraiser, which was first conducted in 2004, will be used to promote tourism of Fort Scott. Proceeds from the 2004 fundraiser were used to purchase an entrance sign that was placed north of town on U.S. Highway 69. Since then, funds have been used for various projects to help promote Fort Scott and create a greater awareness of the town.

The first yard the flamingos will land in this year is the home of Scott and her husband, Jim, 1208 S. National Ave. Visitors to Fort Scott in August will be able to see the birds while touring the town aboard Dolly the Trolley, Martha said.

"It's just fun for our tourists as they ride on the trolley tour," she said. "A bit of whimsy is a lot of fun."

For more information, call Scott at (620) 223-1844.