The parade that cares and shares in Rockville Centre

True to its trademarked slogan, “The parade that cares and shares,” organizers of the Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade awarded $18,000 to each of the parade’s designated national, Irish and local charities at a ceremony on April 14.

The three chosen for 2011 were the Wounded Warrior Project, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Dublin, Ireland and the Nassau-Suffolk Chapter of the Autism Society of America.

Since the parade’s inception in 1997, it has distributed $676,000 to 45 individual charities.

In the front row, from left, in the photo below are Kathleen Alcock ~ sponsor of the 2011 Irish Charity Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Dublin Ireland; Suzanne Reek ~ president of the 2011 Local Charity Nassau-Suffolk Chapter of the Autism Society of America and Flip Mullen ~ representative of the 2011 National Charity Wounded Warrior Project. In the back row, from left, are parade organizers Kathleen Schwarting, Sean O’Rourke, 2011 co-Grand Marshals Joe Kelly and Bud Cosgrove and parade secretary Mike Cosgrove.

The parade committee also named the winners of its poster contest. Aisha Belgrave of Molloy College took first place and Christiana Kaimis of Molloy College was the runner-up. The executive committee also made an award for the best appearing fire department photo that was accepted by outgoing Rockville Centre Fire Chief Mark Murray on behalf of the department.