The St. Patrick's Parade Sunnyside / Woodside Queens

The 2006 "St. Pat's for all Parade"

When:	March 5th 2006, 12.30pm
Where:	Queens, New York. Parade  (Begins 43rd and Skillman Ave. Ends 61st Street & Woodside Ave).
Post Parade Celebration:	2:00 - 4:00 Woodside
Who:	Honoring the McCourt Brothers (Malachy, Frank, Michael & Alfie) and Ellen Duncan
Joining:	Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Speaker Christine Quinn- New York’s speaker of New York’s city council along with numerous other political & community leaders
Leading:	Children from the local community including The New York Academy of Irish Dance and The Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens)
Starring:	Visiting band from Ireland "De Jimbe."
With:	Puppets, stiltwalkers, muti ethnic community groups, labor & religious groups

Parade Committee:

• Barbara Ann Mohr- Jamaica
• Brendan Fay- Astoria
• Patrick Langhenry- Sunnyside
• Ann Eagan-Sunnyside
• Debra Sheldon- Sunyside
• Raisa Wu-Sunnyside
• Gillian Daly -Astoria
• Diane Metviner- Sunnyside
• Siobhan Kyne-Rego Park

About the Parade

Whether for spiritual quest, banishment, exile, a longing for adventure or in the pursuit of dreams the Irish diaspora have gone from the small island of Eire to all corners of the globe. Many made their home in the Big Apple! So we gather on March 5th 2006 in Sunnyside Queens as diverse communities of New Yorkers to celebrate Irish heritage and culture.

First held in 2000, the Parade & Fair has become an annual community gathering that cherishes an inclusive St. Patrick’s celebration.  Indeed ours is the first in the 250 years of Irish parades in New York City to be open and welcoming to all who share the spirit of the day. The parade  theme "cherishing all the children of the nation equally"is taken from the 1916 Easter Proclamation of the Irish Republic. Drawn from our past it is a vision & ideal for our present and future.  This year is the 90th anniversary of the Easter Rising and we are happy to commemorate the event.  We  embrace that Easter 1916 ideal and vision exploring what it might mean  for us who call New York home in 2006.

In a rare spirit of hospitality the Irish community of Queens hosts the city’s only St Patrick’s parade to welcome lesbian and gay contingents. We open our celebration with blessings by Protestant, Catholic & Choctaw leaders.

On March 5th 2006 the Streets of Sunnyside will become "Ireland of the welcomes". The NACCP group will carry a Frederick Douglas banner recalling his visit to Ireland during the famine ( An Gorta Mor). The Red Cross will be on hand with cups of tea and hot chocolate. Catholic volunteers are preparing banners in the memory of Irish women peacemakers from Brigid to Ita Ford, Eileen Egan & Dorothy Day. The Peruvian community will honor Roger Casement who defended their human rights prior to his death  Religious participants include the Methodist Church, The Episcopal Church, Catholic Worker, Dignity/NY, and Metropolitan Community Church. TCI students will carry giant puppets.  Irish dancers from the Niall O’Leary Dancing School & New York Academy of Irish Dance and the Boys and Girls club of Queens lead the parade up Skillman. Support also comes from city unions -LOCAL 1199, the United Federation of Teachers, The Central Labor Council and Local 375 DC 37.  The Gillian Daly School of Irish Dance, Lavender & Green Alliance, a New York - based Irish lesbian and gay group, the Brehon Law Society, the Irish Parades Emergency Committee are some of the participating Irish groups

Festivities continue at Woodside from 2-4pm

On March 5th, 2006, the roars of usually wet but delighted children and the call of the bagpipes will lead the 7th annual St. Patrick’s Parade & Irish Fair in Sunnyside/Woodside. As word  spreads we have gotten commitments from many public officials, community groups, unions, pipers, dancers and puppeteers, religious communities, the young, seniors, gay and straight, all looking forward to celebrating our wonderful diversity. We are delighted to have many contingents including Caribbean, Latino, Native American, and Korean.

All of us will be celebrating Ireland as well as our common heritage and humanity. Of course, we have had to face many challenges, hurdles and costs!! However, the committee has been heartened by the warm welcome and generous support we find in our community.

Join us..

Here are some of the ways that you can participate/help.

• Add your name to the list of endorsers.
• Register a parade contingent on our web site or print and mail us the form. Our registration deadline is February 28th
• Advertise in our Parade Journal

• Join us in the parade working committees. Our meetings are open to anyone wishing to be a part of our efforts and are fully volunteer-run.

• Pass on the good word about the parade by e-mail, copy or by simply sharing the news with your neighbor.
• Send a few dollars. The parade will cost about $10,000 (make checks payable to "St. Patrick’s Parade & Irish Fair").

St Patrick's parade & Irish Fair
PO Box 770515
Wooside
NY 11377

Questions or comments about the parade? Send us an e-mail by clicking on this link.

Thank you for enthusiasm. Your help is essential to make this historical event happen. Above all though, we look forward to hearing from you, and come next March 5th, marching together or cheering us along the parade route as we forever "cherish all the children of the nation equally".

Le Meas,
With Kind Regards,

Brendan Fay
Barbara Ann Heffernan Mohr
Co-Chairs