50.0°,
Mostly Cloudy The most colorful St. Patrick's in Rockville Centre
Parade celebrates 20 years with the most marchers and spectators ever
It was a crisp and sunny day last Saturday, perfect weather for a parade.
The 20th St. Patrick’s Parade was one of the best ever, with more than 140 groups and 2,500 people marching, the most in the event’s history.
Residents, resplendent in green, lined all of Maple Avenue to cheer on the marchers, who included Scout troops, fire and police departments, local civic groups and charities and many, many more. The village estimated that more than 15,000 people came out to watch the parade.
“The Parade that Cares and Shares is a big part of the Rockville Centre tradition,” said Mayor Francis X. Murray, himself a former grand marshal. “Thousands of spectators filled the sidewalks to see the return of the 20th St. Patrick’s Parade. The parade not only fills our streets with Rockville Centre pride, but it gives back to three worthy causes. This year’s recipients include the Tommy Brull Foundation, the Children’s Tumor Foundation and the Ballinasloe Eagles Special Olympics Club. I would like to thank everyone involved for making this special day go off without a hitch.”
The parade was led this year by Grand Marshal Michael O’Reilly, a longtime member of the Parade Committee. He joined the committee in 1997, served on the Fund Raising and Journal committees from 1997 to 2001 and was co-chair of the Publicity and Marketing Committee in 2004 and 2005. O’Reilly was elected the first president of the Parade Committee’s board of directors in 2006, a position he held for three years.
Each year, the parade donates money to three charities: one local, one national and one Irish. In its first 19 years, the event donated $932,000 to 58 different charities. Organizers were confident that this year the total would exceed $1 million.
The Tommy Brull Foundation donates money to people and organizations that are dedicated to helping those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities on Long Island. The Children’s Tumor Foundation seeks to find treatments for neurofibromatosis, a condition in which tumors grow on nerves throughout the body. The Ballinasloe Eagles Special Olympics Club is a voluntarily funded club that encourages those with intellectual disabilities to participate in a range of sports.
The rowdy celebration that used to follow the parade was kept to a minimum this year. Local bars, working with the Police Department, closed at 1 a.m. instead of 4 a.m., which helped reduce late-night trouble on the streets. The police said there were three arrests on Saturday night and early Sunday morning: two for disorderly conduct and one for public urination.
