By ARIELLA MONTI
Rockville Centre's 13th annual St. Patrick's Parade, kicking off on Saturday at noon, is said to be one of the best-attended and most enthusiastically supported parades outside New York City. Organizers expect to draw a crowd of nearly 15,000 along the parade route on Maple Avenue, from the corner of Long Beach Road to North Village Avenue.
The parade not only draws visitors from all over the area, but is a large-scale fundraiser. Parade secretary Mike Cosgrove expects this year's event to put the parade's total charitable contribution over the $500,000 mark, proof that it has earned its motto, "The Parade that Cares and Shares." Each year organizers choose three charities, one local, one national and one Irish, to receive funds collected from the sale of sponsorships and merchandise.
"The parade celebrates service to our country, our church and our community, as well as both our Irish heritage and our pride in being American," said parade committee co-chairman Sean O'Rourke.
"The parade is the culmination of a year of hard work by our parade committee," added O'Rourke's co-chair, Ann Marie Myatt, "and attendance at the parade honors that hard work."
This year organizers have chosen Maureen's Hope Foundation, the De La Salle School of Freeport and Molloy College's newly established Irish Studies Foundation as its charities.
Maureen's Hope provides support for cancer patients, helping them with daily challenges like grocery shopping and housekeeping. The De La Salle School provides education to 60 economically disadvantaged boys in grades five through eight, and the mission of the Irish Studies Institute at Molloy is to educate people about Irish-Americans' legacy and how they helped shaped local communities.
While the parade's contributions vary from year to year, Cosgrove said that each charity typically receives $15,000 to $26,000 from sponsorships and the sale of official merchandise such as car magnets and T-shirts.
Parade Grand Marshal Francis X. Murray, co-chair of the RVC Environmental and Beautification Committee, will lead the parade, which will feature 100 organizations from across Long Island. This year spectators will enjoy the New York Islanders' Sparky the Dragon and Mr. Met of Mets fame. The New York Jets' "Flight Crew" cheerleaders will also take part in this year's event.
The winning poster for the parade was created by Molloy College senior Michael Varin in the college's annual parade poster contest. Varin, a computer science and math major from Franklin Square, created an image that features a shadow of St. Patrick with shamrocks surrounding the outer edges.
More local St. Patrick's-related events:
Commemorative Mass
St. Agnes Cathedral will hold a commemorative Mass at 9 a.m. on Saturday, before the parade kicks off.
St. Baldrick's Event
Founded in 1999 by Rockville Centre resident John Bender and friends Tim Kenny and Edna McDonnell, the event has become widely known for its efforts to help children fighting cancer. Money-raising volunteers step up to say goodbye to their hair and have their head shaved, symbolically bonding with children with cancer, who often lose their hair. To date the foundation has raised over $50 million for cancer research. St. Agnes Parish Center, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit stbaldricks.org.
Free entertainment, refreshments,
Maple Pointe Assisted Living
This family-friendly event will feature live music by Sweet Surrender, refreshments and prizes. 260 Maple Ave., 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, call
(516) 764-4848.
For more information on the parade, visit rvcstpatrick.com.
