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February 25, 2004

Bigger and more music-filled than ever, the 31st annual Irish Flag Raising and St. Patrick's Day Parade, sponsored by the Woodbridge American Irish Association, will be held on Sunday, March 14, 2004. Mayor Frank G. Pelzman will preside over the raising of the Irish flag, which begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall, 1 Main Street. The parade kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at Woodbridge High School and travels down Route 35, turns left onto Main Street and concludes at Town Hall. "This is the day we honor our Irish residents and celebrate everything Irish," said the Mayor. "We look forward to a great turnout." Six Irish bagpipe bands, seven school bands and over 100 marching units will be led through the Township by parade Grand Marshall Dorothy Ashton, active for over 40 years in local church, community and cultural causes. "I am thrilled to have been named Grand Marshall and to show pride in my heritage by being part of this terrific event," said Ms. Ashton. Other 2004 St. Patrick's Day honorees include: Joseph Fennelly (Irish Person of the Year), Kelley McCaffrey (Miss American-Irish) and Karen Marie Barcellona (Lady in Waiting). By honoring individuals with extensive commitment to community aid projects, the Woodbridge St. Patrick's Day Parade emphasizes the longstanding American Irish legacy of social service. Grand Marshal Dorothy Ashton of Edison is the area coordinator of Project Children, a nationwide organization that brings underprivileged children from Northern Ireland to the United States to stay with a host family for several weeks and participate in a cross-cultural exchange that advances the ideals of tolerance and diversity. Irish Person of the Year Joseph Fennelly has served his Colonia community as a volunteer in several parish and diocesan capacities, including sponsoring vocations among Catholic youth and teaching spirituality classes to prisoners. Miss American Irish Kelley McCaffrey of Metuchen is a junior at Bishop Ahr High School in Edison. In addition to school and sports activities, Kelley teaches religious classes for St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church and belongs to a Christian Social Action Club. Lady in Waiting Karen Marie Barcellona is a 2003 Woodbridge High School grad now enrolled as a Fashion Design and Merchandising major at Katharine Gibbs in New York City, pursuing a career goal of owning her own clothes-making business. Pipe and drum bands have been a staple of St. Patrick's Day celebrations for two centuries. Participating in this year's Woodbridge parade are six stalwart units well known to audiences throughout the Tri-State area: Dal Riada Pipe Band, Richmond County Pipe Band, Rockland County Scottish Pipes, Somerset County Police and Fire Pipes and Drums, Lia Fail Pipe Band and the Friendly Sons of Shillelagh Pipe Band. "This parade is ultimately for the children," said parade chairman Bill Donovan. "It's a great way to pass along the Irish heritage and keep our traditions of culture, country and religion active and alive."