Rockville Centre ready for St. Patrick’s Parade

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The streets of Rockville Centre will turn to seas of green when the village celebrates Irish heritage during the 21st annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday.

The parade will step off at noon and start at the Municipal Parking Field No. 12 before turning onto North Long Beach Road and then heading west on Maple Avenue. The parade will end in field No. 2, near St. Agnes Cathedral.

No parking will be allowed along the parade route and Rockville Centre police will be blocking off roads from 11:30 a.m. to around 2 p.m. Motorists are advised to take alternate routes.

Malverne Mayor Patti Ann McDonald will, for the first time, be the grand marshal of the parade, celebrating what she says is her favorite holiday. At the same time, March is also her birth month, as well as that of her late husband, New York Police Department Detective Steven McDonald, who died two months ago after suffering a heart attack. March also marks 10 years since Patti was elected mayor of Malverne.

Her late husband, New York City Police Detective Steven McDonald, served as the second-ever grand marshal in 1998.

As always, three charities were chosen by the St. Patrick’s Committee to march in the parade — one national, one local and one that represents Irish heritage. This year, the Backyard Players & Friends, Breath Believe and the Pieta House were selected as the beneficiaries.

Backyard Players & Friends is an inclusive arts-based community program dedicated to enhancing the social and interpersonal skills for teens and young adults of all abilities. Breathe Believe provides financial assistance to people with cystic fibrosis and the Pieta House helps those in suicidal or self-harm distress.

Last year, the parade committee surpassed the $1 million mark for charity donations over the course of its history.