Why is this man smiling? It's parade director Michael Bradley, and he's raising money for the parade and having fun at the same time!
You know that old saying about trying to stuff ten pounds of—well, stuff— into a five-pound bag?
That’s the situation the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association faces between now and parade day, Sunday, March 13. The association needs to raise $70,000 to $80,000 between now and then, and they’re squeezing the lion’s share of their fund-raising into that really, really small window.
Attending to the logistical details of the parade—which float goes where, which dance school goes before the TV cameras and when—is relatively easy, says parade director Michael Bradley. The hard part is raising the money necessary to run the parade in the first place.
The most recent big fund-raiser was held at Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 39 last Sunday. Now, there are two more big cash-collecting events in the offing. The first one will be held Saturday, February 26, from 8 ’til midnight, at the Second Street Irish Society. “That’s a new group helping us out this year, and we’re very appreciative,” says Bradley.
The next event—and always a big boost—is the Blackthorn concert at Springfield (Delco) Country Club on Sunday, March 6, from 3 to 7 p.m.
Between those two events and our ad book, that’s the bulk of our fund-raising,” he says.
All of that fund-raising is serious business, but it can be a great time, too.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun, no matter what we do,” Bradley says. “There’s nothing worse than going to an event and feeling like they’re just taking your money. I’m not going to be involved if its not fun. That has a lot to do with our success.”
(We’ve gone to the Blackthorn event, and it was standing room only. Trust us, no one was too overly caught up worrying about raising thousands of dollars. They were too busy partying.)
That’s just how the folks organizing the parade want it. Says Bradley: “Theres no parade without the people, and if you don’t make the fund-raisers special, nobody is going to come.”
One last detail: The ad book. If you have a business or organization (or maybe it’s just you or your family), you can help out by buying an ad in the parade ad book. For details, contact Michael Bradley at (610) 308-8994.
