Rockville Centre's St. Pat's parade steps off Saturday

The 15th annual Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade will step off on Saturday at noon from the corner of North Long Beach Road and Maple Avenue, proceed down Maple Avenue past Village Hall and end at North Village Avenue.

Members of at least 118 organizations are expected to march, including Mr. Met, the Jets cheerleaders (the Flight Crew), the Islanders mascot (Sparky), KJOY, WBAB/WBLI, some 22 pipe and drum units and the Hempstead High School and St. Raymond’s marching bands.

Since the parade first stepped off in 1997, it has become one of the best-attended and most generously supported parades outside New York City. The event makes sizable contributions to three charities each year — a local, a national and an Irish charity. In 14 years the parade has raised over $622,000 for 42 charities.

Parade Committee Co-Chair Sean O’Rourke said the event “celebrates service to our country, our church and our community as well as both our Irish heritage and our pride in being American.” The committee’s other co-chair, Kathleen Schwarting, added that “the parade is the culmination of a year of hard work by a parade committee consisting of approximately 86 people, and attendance at the parade honors that hard work.”

Charities

The local charity chosen by the Parade Committee this year is the Nassau-Suffolk chapter of the Autism Society of America, which helps more than 800 families on Long Island cope with autism spectrum disorder.

The national charity is the Wounded Warrior Project, whose mission is to assist America’s severely injured service members.

Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, a suburb of Dublin, was chosen as the Irish charity. The hospital opened in November 1956 and has grown into Ireland’s largest pediatric teaching hospital, with 248 beds and more than 1,500 staff members. It is involved in the teaching of all disciplines of health care as well as research.

Grand marshals

The Parade Committee has chosen two of its original founders, Joseph F. Kelly and Bud Cosgrove, to be co-grand marshals of this year’s event. “It is extremely fitting that we honor two of the founders of the Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade as our grand marshals,” said Schwarting, noting Kelly’s and Cosgrove’s efforts in support of the parade they helped start.

“Without the vision of Bud and Joseph, our parade would not have been possible,” Schwarting added. “Throughout the 15 years of the parade, both men have remained active. They both truly exemplify our motto ‘The parade that cares and shares.’”

“I am very proud of this honor, and especially that I will share it with Joe Kelly,” Cosgrove said. “I want to thank the board and the committee for selecting us, and our families, friends and neighbors, who have been so supportive over the years.”

“Dianne and I, our three children, their wonderful spouses, and our nine cherished grandchildren will be proud to be marching in our best green to celebrate America’s and Rockville Centre’s Irish heritage,” Kelly said.

Each year the parade is preceded by a 9 a.m. commemorative Mass in St. Agnes Cathedral.

Official parade merchandise

During the parade, the committee will sell official merchandise on the Village Green — T-shirts, cookbooks, bracelets, hats, pint glasses and car magnets. This is the only authorized merchandise that will be sold during the parade, and all proceeds will help underwrite the cost of the parade and support the three charities.

St. Baldrick’s

For the eighth year in a row, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, www.stbaldricks.org, which raises funds for children’s cancer research by persuading the hirsute to shave their heads, will hold its annual celebration immediately after the parade — at 1 p.m. — in the St. Agnes Parish Center. Organizers thanked last year’s participants, and said they are looking forward to having fun this year as they shave their way to a cure. Despite the weak economy, St. Baldrick’s raised almost $240,000 in Rockville Centre alone in 2010, and $22 million in events around the world. They welcome new participants in their efforts to cure childhood cancer in 2011.

Zero tolerance

In an effort to cut down on what has become a major “after-event” in the village’s downtown business district, which is of concern and costly to the village, Rockville Centre Police Commissioner Charles Gennario said that local bar owners have been asked to voluntarily close early, at 1 a.m. Sunday instead of the usual closing time of 5 a.m.

“Public consumption, intoxication, urination and disorderly conduct will not be tolerated,” Gennario said, “and all quality-of-life issues will be enforced.”