in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, as one of the three charities it will support financially through the event, scheduled for March 21, 2009.
As it's mission, the parade financially supports three charities every year. One of the charities is local, one national, and one is an Irish charity.
"The Parade's Board of Directors takes great care and exercises tremendous due diligence in selecting our three charities every year, as it is the most important thing we will do that year," explained Parade Committee President Ann Marie Myatt. "This year we are extremely proud of the high quality of the three charities we will be supporting".
Since the Rockville Centre St. Patrick's Parade first stepped off in 1997, it has become one of the best attended and supported parades outside of New York City. In its 12 years, it has distributed over $485,000 to 36 separate charities. This is in keeping with Parade's motto, that it is "The Parade that Cares and Shares."
The local charity chosen by the parade committee this year is The De La Salle School of Freeport, which was established in 2002 with eleven 5th grade students and now currently enrolls more than 60 students in grades 5 through 8. More than 77 percent of De La Salle's students qualify for free or reduced price federal lunch, and the school provides a "Breakfast Club" that serves milk and cereal for all students every morning. It also offers its students "Extended Day'"study time and social activities three afternoons a week. The school's teachings are rooted in more than 325 years of De La Salle Christian Brothers tradition, and it maintains a curriculum which meets and surpasses the guidelines established by the Board of Regents of the State of New York. "This school offers an amazing opportunity for economically disadvantaged young boys, and we are delighted to support them," said Myatt.
The national charity chosen for the 2009 parade is Maureen's Hope Foundation, Inc., which was founded five years ago by Susan Bertrand after watching her younger sister, Maureen, endure a courageous and difficult two-year battle with cancer. Bertrand learned that the medical community cannot meet the many needs a patient has when faced with a life-altering disease. The mission of Maureen's Hope is to try to fill that gap and fulfill some of those needs. In its five-year history, Maureen's Hope has provided practical support and assistance to over 400 people facing the challenges of a diagnosis of cancer or some other life-altering disease, including providing patients with a cleaning service for their home; meals for the family; wigs if they have lost their hair; help with travel expenses and fundraisers; and personalized gift baskets of hope filled with items that offer comfort and inspiration.
And the Irish charity selected by the committee is the newly-established Irish Studies Institute at Molloy College, a long-time supporter of the parade.
Molloy plans to use the funds received from the Parade for one of two distinct projects. The first proposed project is the establishment of the oral history archives which will become part of the permanent collection of the Irish Studies Institute. This oral history project will preserve the story of Irish Americans in this region. The second proposed project will be the establishment of an endowed scholarship fund for Irish Studies that will exist in perpetuity and be named "The RVC St. Patrick's Parade Scholarship Fund at Molloy College."
The proceeds the Parade Committee donates will benefit those students interested in pursuing a certificate in Irish Studies, would be put in a restricted account and scholarships would be awarded on the interest collected on that endowment. Both of these projects provide for a lasting legacy to the generosity of the parade.
To learn more about "The Parade that Cares and Shares," visit www.rvcstpatrick.com.
