Rockville Centre businesses share a ‘Taste of RVC’

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Residents and neighbors of surrounding communities got a taste of Rockville Centre on Jan. 26 as local restaurants and vendors came together to raise money for this year’s St. Patrick’s Parade, which will be held on March 24.

Taste of Rockville Centre is an event before the annual parade that helps collect funds for three charities — a national, a local and an Irish organization. This year, the parade will support Life’s WORC Family Center for Autism, the Family Lives On Foundation and the Irish American Heritage Museum. Since the parade’s inception in 1997, more than $900,000 has been donated to 58 charities.

In addition to providing plenty of food, fun and live music to dozens of attendees, the event offered a chance for Rockville Centre resident John Coghlan, grand marshal of this year’s parade, to address the crowd.

Coghlan has coached CYO basketball for many years and recently completed a 12-year term as a trustee on the Molloy College Board. Both he and his wife, Patti, are active members of Legatus, an organization of business leaders and their spouses dedicated to supporting the Magisterium of the Church. Coghlan has received recognition for his charitable works, including the Bishop McGann Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with Mercy Hospital and the St. Thomas Aquinas Award for his significant contributions to Catholic education.