St. Patrick's Day Committee ready to help area agencies / LJWorld.com

Archive for Saturday, September 13, 2008

Deadline for applications set for Oct. 1

September 13, 2008

Nonprofit organizations interested in being considered by the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee may pick up applications at several locations: McDonald Chiropractic Clinic, 953 E. 23rd St.; Cottin's Coast-to-Coast Hardware, 1832 Mass., KLWN-AM/KLZR-FM, 3125 W. Sixth St., or by calling 749-6677.

Applications also are available on the committee's Web site.

They may be mailed to The Lawrence St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee, P.O. Box 1702, Lawrence, KS 66044; hand-delivered to Capital City Bank, 740 N.H.; e-mailed, or faxed to 330-1229 or 843-2247.

The Lawrence St. Patrick's Day Committee is gearing up for another season of giving green.

But first, it needs to pick the charities that will benefit from the 22nd annual St. Patrick's Day parade and other events.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 1.

"We're looking for charities that we can help lift up and get their names in the community," said Roger Browning, the committee's public relations chairman. He said the committee likes working with "bootstrap charities," which might struggle without funds from the St. Patrick's Day parade process.

"We're looking for special projects. We focus on children : we're out there to educate people about the needs in our community, as well as the fun and the parade," Browning said.

The parade is the culmination of three weeks of events that raise money for local children's charities.

The first event is a charity auction, slated for Feb. 28. It's followed by the St. Patrick's Day Queen Pageant, the Shamrock Shuffle 5K/Fun Run, the St. Patrick's Day Poker Run, a dart tournament, a trivia contest and, finally, the parade on March 17.

Jean Ann Pike, executive director of the Social Service League, one of last year's beneficiaries, said the organization's involvement proved to be a windfall. She said the parade and its events brought in more money than the Social Service League had ever received since it opened in 1863.

The organization put the money into funds that supply shoes and eyeglasses for schoolchildren.

"Those were about bottomed out at the time," she said. "Here we are starting a new school season, and we don't have to worry about it. Rarely do we start a new school season without wondering how we are going to do it."

Last year's charities, the County Fair Swim Club and Social Service League, each received about $26,000. With this year's donations, the committee estimates it will have donated about $500,000 during the past 22 years.