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Community Corner

Hundreds Attend St. Patrick's Day Parade Fundraiser

Five hundred people came out to eat, dance and support the parade at a festive gathering.

Green clothing, Guinness beer and Irish music were all the rage at the Sunday as about 500 people of all ages ate, drank, danced and mingled at the third and final major fundraiser for the 242nd annual Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The event, held for the fourth year at the country club, was organized by The St. Patrick’s Day of Observance Association parade Director Michael Bradley and Executive Committee members Chris Phillips and Patricia Donnelly.

Tickets to attend the fundraiser, which was open to the general public, were $25 for adults and $10 for students while sponsors and supporters of the parade offered more generous donations.

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Complementary to the various raffles, live and silent auctions, open bars, green Phillies T-shirt sales and a buffet, were bands The Hooligans, The Vince Gallagher Band and dancers from the McDade-Cara and McHugh Schools of Irish Dance.

Some performed included Vince Gallagher’s “Take Me Home to Mayo” and the Hooligans’ “Galway Girl,” sung by lead player Luke Jardel, who has performed at parade fundraisers and events for the last 15 years.

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Other attendees included parade board members and their families, sponsors like CBS3 (which airs the parade), Irish pub and restaurant owners and others.

One guest, Bradley’s mother, Bernadette Bradley, sported a lime green jacket and green beads as she ate and conversed with the rest of the Bradley family at a round table situated near the band. Bernadette is 100 percent Irish and has been attending the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade for the past 30 years. She said the parade is an important celebration everyone can take part in.

“It helps to reinforce your Irish heritage—both culture and religion,” she said. “St. Patrick’s Day is for everybody. It’s a happy, family-oriented celebration.”

Sponsor and business manager of IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 98, John Dougherty, who was named this year’s Grand Marshal of the parade, also attended. He stood back by the bar to speak with and take pictures for the press.

Dougherty is a contributor to various Irish causes aimed at bettering education and fostering peace in Northern Ireland, and is one of the founders of the Irish Memorial at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. He was inducted into the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of fame in 2004.

“I’m honored and humbled,” he said of being named Grand Marshal, adding that it's a title he didn’t expect to receive and he sometimes doesn’t feel worthy of.  

As Grand Marshal, Dougherty’s job is “to create some sort of excitement about the parade,” he explained. He said the parade is more than just “drinking Guinness” and getting caught up in the festivities—it’s about education, religion and bettering society.

The total amount of money raised at the March 4 event, which was aimed to bring in about $10,000 has not yet been tallied, but Bradley believes that he and his 26 fellow parade board members have come very close to reaching their overall goal of $100,000, which is the general cost of the parade.

The Parade

The theme of this year’s Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade is “St. Patrick, Bless the American Worker.” The parade normally takes place on the Sunday of or before St. Patrick’s Day. Preparations begin in November, with various events and money-raising efforts taking place throughout the four months prior.

Three major fundraisers are held in the weeks preceding the parade. This year, fundraisers were held Feb. 19 at the Second Street Irish Society, and Feb. 26 at Insulators Hall, both in Philadelphia, in addition to the Sunday event (pictured.)

The parade is important because it's an exercise of democracy—a means of displaying the right to take pride in the cultural and religious aspects of ones heritage. It’s also the second oldest parade in the history of the United States, originating in 1771, after the New York City Parade, which began in 1766.

“People march in memory of their parents and grandparents who came here (to America) long ago,” Bradley said.

In addition to well-known people, like Governor Tom Corbett and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, 20,000 marchers from about 200 organizations will be featured in the parade this year. These include local dancers, singers, bands, fire and police departments, TV and radio stations, and more, who sign up yearly to be included in the event. (All groups who sign up are included in the parade.)

The additional number of people who come out to watch the parade varies from year to year, according to Bradley.

“Attendance is very weather-dependent,” Bradley said. “We had beautiful weather a few years ago, and about 100,000 people came out.”

There are 20 new groups to be featured in the parade this year, including the women of Springfield’s own Divine Providence Village, who will perform an Irish dance.

Those performing have a minute and a half for their act. Twelve awards are given out to the best acts, determined by the parade judges, at an Awards Ceremony to be held on April 18 this year.

Bradley, who has dedicated a great deal of time and effort to raising money and maintaining order of contact like member and event listings for the parade among other responsibilities, encourages everyone, young and old, to come out to the celebration.

“It’s a nice event to bring the little kids. There’s not many events where the little kids are welcome and it’s good for them to come out and see the dancers and experience things like this,” Bradley said.

Philadelphia’s 242nd St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held at 16th Street & JFK Boulevard on Sunday, March 11 at noon. It's free to attend and open to the general public. Those who come out are advised to dress warm.

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