68 Nebraskaland • August-Spetember 2026
Pink Flamingos from left to right: Lona Clarey, Tam Schlueter, Carla Carda and Connie Thomas, all of Hastings.
The Pink Flamingos
By Julie Geiser
The Last Stop
If you spot a f lock of pink f lamingos at a state park, don't worry. They are
simply there to put a smile on your face.
In 2018, Tam Schlueter of Hastings wanted to spread a little more joy to park
areas that she, her husband Sam, their dog Rolly and other fun-loving friends
went each summer, nicknaming these trips "Glampalooza."
And that's where the shenanigans began. Tam and her friends began
dressing up in large, pink, inf lated f lamingo costumes. They wore sparkled
f lamingo glasses with pink, feathered boas around the necks. They filled bags
with toys and trinkets, then danced their way through park areas — including
Fort Kearny State Recreation Area — to their own music.
"I am grateful more than I can describe," Tam said, whose group continues
this tradition today. "Glampalooza is all about spreading joy in an all-too-
chaotic world. It's about friendship and snort-laughs and silly foolishness, and
knowing that, regardless of what you might be facing, you have a f lock of pals
to share the journey."
