This is a weekend for good deeds and to honor good-deed doers. And, of course, have fun doing it.
All weekend, members of AOH 51 will be collecting food and money outside the Thriftway Supermarket at Aramingo and York Streets in Philadelphia to support the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center, which feeds and assistant 50-75 homeless veterans a day.
On Friday night, The Philadelphia Police and Fire Pipes and Drums and the Philadelphia County AOH are holding a benefit at Canstatters in Northeast Philly for two heroes—retired firefighter Tommy Meehan (a 33-year veteran) and Officer Jack Twist of the Philadelphia Police Department who is disabled from chronic pain. Both are members of the pipe band. Jamison will perform.
The Camden County High School Alumni Association will be putting on their usual Irish Festival at the high school on Saturday. This benefit is always fun, and Blackthorn is on the bill.
On Sunday, AOH 21 will be serving up another great Irish breakfast at Smoke Eaters Pub in Frankford. They’re billing it as a “Pre-Mother’s Day” event, but that doesn’t get you out of breakfast-in-bed on the real Mother’s Day.
And speaking of Blackthorn, one of the premiere “benefit bands” in the Delaware Valley will be recognized for its charitable efforts at the Third Annual AOH Fiv 65 Fleadh an Earraigh award ceremony at the Knights of Columbus De La Salle in Springfield on Sunday afternoon. Two other stalwarts of the Irish community will also be feted: musician and long-time Irish radio host Tommy Moffit and former restaurateur Jack McNamee. Very well-deserved. Congratulations all!
Not a benefit, but a chance to see a remarkable performer—on Saturday night at The Grand in Wilmington, Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster.
And if you want to learn the fine points of the game of hurling, the Shamrocks are practicing every Tuesday and Wednesday night at the Torresdale Boys Club.
Make sure you tune in to the WTMR 800-AM radio shows on Sunday. The Vince Gallagher Irish Radio Hour starts at 11 AM, followed by Marianne MacDonald’s “Come West Along the Road.” Last year, the shows found themselves in financial trouble and huge community support kept them going. Well, it’s time to rally again, and plans are on for a radiothon and other benefits in June. It costs nearly $36,000 to keep both shows on the air, and this year’s recession hasn’t made it any easier to get advertising.
Check back here for all the details, and look over our calendar which loves the attention.
