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Leader, units set for 34th Mahoning Valley St. Pat parade
BOARDMAN
A giant shamrock balloon will make its way down Market Street in one week, signaling the start of the 34th annual Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Grand Marshal John Sheridan, 75, of Poland is counting on some Irish luck for sunny skies and calm or no wind.
“The shamrock with the winds can be tricky to hold onto,” Sheridan said, while chuckling.
But with members of the Cardinal Mooney championship football team at the helm, the balloon should be in good hands, he added.
The parade begins at 1 p.m. next Sunday on Market Street and will proceed north on Market from McClurg Road to Southwoods Avenue.
Sheridan, who grew up on Youngstown’s North Side, has been involved with the parade since its second year and is a member of many Irish-related organizations, including the Mahoning Valley Gaelic Society, the Ulster Project and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
He said he hopes the parade draws young people to such organizations.
“You know, it’s families to families, and we’re working on the next generation, from the grandparents and the parents to the kids,” Sheridan said.
Sheridan said “it’s quite an honor” to be named grand marshal over what has been a Mahoning Valley tradition.
“It’s been fun for me because I’ve met a lot of people ... and I’ve seen it go from small to large,” Sheridan said. “Boardman’s taken very good care of us.”
Boardman Trustee Chairman Brad Calhoun said the township is “honored to host it” and feels an economic boost as people travel there for the parade.
“The parade is always safe, clean and organized, and before or after, many people in or watching the parade come into Boardman for breakfast or lunch — and I think they take advantage of all the retail and restaurants,” Calhoun said.
Robb Kale, one of the parade’s organizers, said about 140 organizations will participate in the parade and of those, about a dozen are animal entries, such as llamas, Irish wolfs hounds and horses.
“The Irish get a negative view on St. Patrick’s Day because it’s associated with drinking [alcohol]. We would hope to promote something very positive, instead of that negative,” Kale said.
The parade, he said, is a celebration of family.
“We hope people take time out of their day to come out and spend time with us,” Kale said.
The parade’s theme is “Cead Mile Failte” which translates to “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes.” The Ockerman Award recipient is Ray Kelly III; the Bill Cleary Award recipient is Dolly Milick; the Lord Mayor of Kilkenny is Denise DeBartolo York; and the Patrick Chrystal Youth Award will be presented to Maura Bobby.
The parade is sponsored by the Mahoning Valley Irish Organizations, 21 WFMJ-TV and The Vindicator.