The Winner - The Award - The Medal - The Prize Package
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In spring of 2004, The American Pirate Association took their small town by storm. It was during the annual Tulip Time Kinder Parade in Holland, Michigan, that this small group of 19-21 teenagers dressed up as pirates and entered the parade lineup without a permit (oh, the humanity.) The crowd cheered them on, but it wasn't long before the police escorted them off the premises and fined them $100 apiece.

But the story doesn't end there...

Unable or unwilling to beg the money off their parents or to get jobs at McDonald's, the members of the American Pirate Association instead opted to hold a carwash fundraiser, again dressed as pirates. Members from all over the community came to show their support, many making donations without even getting their cars washed, some dressing as pirates themselves. At the end of the day, enough money was raised to pay all fines, with cash leftover to make a contribution to the Boys and Girls Club.

But we're not quite done yet...

In a true move of both wit and class, the American Pirate Association kept just enough money to make one last charitable donation, this one in the form of purchasing a brick for the new Holland Police Station - the very same precinct that had pulled them from the parade in the first place. And this brick will forever be engraved "American Pirate Association". [update: in a tragic display of poor sportsmanship, the Holland Police Department has declined to accept the donation.]


If you'd like to learn more about the American Pirate Association and their exploits with the Tulip Parade, then check out the following articles:

19 parade 'pirates' ticketed: Police say group of West Ottawa students did not have permit to join Kinderparade - Holland Sentinel

Pirates illegally join Kinderparade in Holland - Wood 8 TV

Holland pirates: righteous rogues - mLive.com

Pirates swabbin' decks for treasure: Teens raise $2,100 to pay fines from parade incident, give extra cash to Boys & Girls Club - Holland Sentinel

Letters to the Editor: Invite 'pirates' to next year's parade - Holland Sentinel



2004 Prize Package

In addition to a most lovely medal and certificate (suitable for framing,) the winner of The Flying Dutchman Award also received a generous prize package, made possible by the generous donations of several pirate vendors and artists.

The Flying Dutchman Prize Package consists of:

  • A One-Year Subscription to No Quarter Given - Editor Jamaica Rose was kind enough to provide our winner with a full year's worth of piratey goodness.
  • Five Ben Gunn Society CDs - As the American Pirate Association consists of several members, The Ben Gunn Society offered up several copies of their wonderful CD, to help spread their message of piracy and cheese.
  • A Complete (and autographed!) Collection of Scurvy Dogs Comics - The name says it all. Cap'n Boyd and Admiral Yount offered up these thrilling tales of golden-age pirates caught up in modern-day society.
  • Ol' Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy of Talk Like a Pirate Day contributed one of their chic t-shirts, along with a copy of their new book, "Well Blow Me Down! A guy's guide to talking like a pirate - essential reading for every bloodthirsty scalliwag (or at least for anyone that wishes to talk like a bloodthirsty scalliwag.)
  • A Certificate Good For One Free Hat from Captain Jack's Pirate Hats - because no pirate is complete without a proper lid for his noggin, and these weatherproofed beauties fit the bill like none other.
  • And lastly, the prize package included a stack of Bilgemunky.com stickers, suitable for sticking just about anywhere.

I'd like to extend a heartfelt "thankyou" to everyone that contributed to this fantastic package, and ask everyone visiting this page to keep them in mind the next time you're shopping for pirate booty :)
-Bilgemunky


www.bilgemunky.com