July 14, 2002 – A couple of clowns, one furry, people-size blue parrot and a dozen or so 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds had a dandy time Saturday morning at the Lindbergh Bay children's park at what was billed by Rummi the parrot as his birthday bash.
The gathering actually was the inaugural event of a series that David Phillip, a.k.a. Rummi, plans to hold each month for the preschool set.
It is Phillip's idea to combine fun with learning, and to that end he invited Myra Suarez, adviser to the V.I. Marine Advisory Service of the University of the Virgin Islands Marine Science Department, to do a show-and-tell presentation for the youngsters on where pollution comes from and the damage it does.
For popularity, though, Suarez had stiff competition from a game called "Duck, Duck, Goose" which seemed to involve a lot of running around in a circle, with the youngsters occasionally batting one another over the head.
The two clowns, Carol and Ron Joiner, made faces, painted faces and helped the tots make animals out of balloons.
The big bird's disguise was blown early on when his 2-year-old daughter, Hanna, told one and all, "That's not Rummi; that's Daddy."
For information about next month's party and more photos from this one, visit the Rummi's Caribbean Vacation web site.

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