All the rain just made everything greener.
The soaking downpour didn’t stop Gerritsen Beachers from marching in the neighborhood’s fifth annual Saint Patrick’s Festival Parade on March 29.
“It was raining cats and dogs on Gerritsen Avenue,” said parade marshal Jameson Wells.
The march celebrating Ireland’s patron saint stretched from Resurrection Roman Catholic Church to Larry Veling Memorial Field.
Four pipe and drum corps and the Gerritsen Beach Band gave revellers a beat to march to, and girls from the O’Malley Irish Dance Academy kept everyone’s spirits high, despite their unusual attire, Wells said.
“They were covered in plastic bags because of the rain,” he said.
The parade also honored Gerritsen Beach resident Kelly Mead Poore, who spearheaded post-Sandy recovery efforts by building a website where locals could list their needs and get connected to food, clothes, and everyday needs, the parade’s organizer said.
“She is absolutely outstanding for what she has done for this community,” said organizer Jim Donovan
Next year, the parade will be even bigger, Donovan said. He plans on bringing in more pipe and drum corps and wants to create a non-profit to collect money for festival funding.
He said he has several neighborhood groups on board, and the committee would help plan and fund a variety of public events — not just the annual St. Patrick’s festival parade.
“We’re going to sit down and try to attack this in the best possible way,” he said.
