50 years of piracy and philanthropy

The Fernandina Pirates Club turns 50 this year, so it’s time to celebrate and reflect on the volunteer-based local nonprofit. Lately pirates have been busy invading community service events, packing meals, sponsoring families for Thanksgiving and Christmas and lending out Amelia’s Pearl, their pirate ship that converts to a stage. You might have seen the ship at the Chili Cook-Off earlier this month. For 50 years, the Pirates Club has been reading to children, loving this community and making people smile at local events. Pirates have done so much work for Ameilia Island that the club received proclamations stating they are Goodwill Ambassadors to both Nassau County and the city of Fernandina Beach. Fernandina Pirates have brought Amelia’s Pearl to pirate festivals and parades in Tybee Island, St. Augustine and Tampa. The next spot on the map is the St. Marys Mardi Gras parade, and the goal there is simple.

“Our basic mission in life as the Pirates Club is to promote the Shrimp Festival,” says Lawrence Mackie. “This is one of the best places in the world to live, and the Shrimp Festival is a fun way to bring people here.”

Mackie and his wife, Judie, are the longest tenured swashbucklers, going on 32 years of membership. Judie Mackie is the head of communications, and Lawrence Mackie is the warehouse chairman, though both have worn many hats over the decades. Lawrence Mackie says that, in his early years, pirates would invade the island for the festival, disembarking from shrimp boats and carrying cannons. While those days might be gone, the pirates are still integral to the success of the Shrimp Festival year after year.

Way more than just hanging out as pirates, the club runs shuttles for the festival, acts as liaisons to the island for new visitors and has priority communication with emergency services. Fernandina Pirates are advertising, running logistics, keeping people safe and helping out as much as they can. Lawrence Mackie couldn’t put a finger on why the club’s members are so giving. It seems like they just don’t see any other option.

“When you take a bunch of Type A personalities and say ‘OK what are we going to do with this money we made?’” Mackie says, “First thing is we are not going to buy a bunch of alcohol and get drunk like old-time pirates. So we started doing things like sponsoring families, helping out our community.”

The Fernandina Beach City Commission recognized the 50th anniversary of the Fernandina Pirates at the Feb. 21 meeting. The proclamation read: “Whereas, it’s true, pirates still roam our fabled City streets. Not to be confused with the scallywags of yore, today’s pirates are renowned for being community ambassadors; and Whereas, founded in 1973 to promote the legendary Shrimp Boat Festival, the Fernandina Pirates Club has since been keeping the pirate spirit alive by carrying on a time-honored Fernandina Beach tradition; and Whereas, throughout the year this rowdy group of men and women can be found ‘invading the island’ during festival kick-off ceremonies, parades, pageants, carnivals, fireworks, fund raising events and so much more. Event participants encounter pirates wandering the streets, sharing their loot, smiling for selfies, and arrrggging their way through delighted crowds; and Whereas, it is also true that our beloved pirates have a soft side; each year they devote countless volunteer hours to reading to school age mateys, visiting local nursing homes, hosting charity events, sponsoring their annual scholarship contests, and have fostered a successful partnership with the Blood Alliance, all in an effort to bring joy to the community; and Whereas, January 2023 marked the Fernandina Pirates Club 50th Anniversary of serving the City, greater Nassau County, and beyond with keen pride, deep reverence and a sense of adventure. Their passion for giving back to the community has helped countess organizations succeed, including: Joy to the Children, Barnabas and CARRT (Child At Risk Response Team). Now, I, Bradley M. Bean, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Fernandina Beach, Florida, do hereby celebrate the: Fernandina Pirates Club 50th Anniversay and sincerely thank the past, present, and future Club members for their dedication to keeping our community spirit alive and thriving.”

It just comes naturally for the Pirates to give back materially, though it’s not always easy. Lawrence Mackie maintains that one of the club’s biggest problems is finding where to give help to. Fernandina Pirates have been trying to give out scholarships, but they can’t get enough kids to apply. The club asks for essays on pirating past, present or future, and only gets five or six submissions some years. While more students definitely need to apply, it’s a good problem for the Pirates Club to have.

Taking it all in, it’s hard to overstate just how much the Fernandina Pirates Club helps this community, but it’s easy to overlook. It was hard for Lawrence Mackie, one of the club’s longest tenured members, to explain why they help. It’s easy enough to just do it. From the outside, it’s hard to put a finger on the meaning of the Pirates Club turning 50, but from the inside, it’s easy for Mackie.

“It’s 50 years of helping out.”