St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Detroit Is Canceled Again This Year
With vaccines for COVID-19 rolling out around the country, it's easy to start daydreaming about life returning to a little more of a normal scene. Then we get reminders that it's still a slow process and we have to have patience in order to overcome the pandemic.
Today's reminder was courtesy of the organizers of the Detroit St. Patrick's Day Parade. According to The Detroit News, they decided to cancel one of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades in the country, a second-year, because of COVID-19.
Organizers told The Detroit News, the parade, which would have happened on March 14th and usually draws anywhere between 80,000 and 100,000 people pre-pandemic would end up being too difficult to host and promote the event with all the safety protocols that would be needed to keep the parade participants, staff, and spectators safe.
The downside to the parade being canceled, other than it's a huge party day for everyone, is that the parade also helps quite a few Irish Charities including Bridges Beyond Boxing, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, and St. Patrick’s Senior Center. The Detroit News says that just since 2018, United Irish Societies have been able to donate over $32,000 to their charity partners.
According to The Detroit News, the United Irish Societies President, Michael Kelly, is still looking toward the future with the annual parade,
“We’re looking forward to the biggest and most successful Detroit St. Patrick’s Parade in our history on Sunday, March 13, 2022," he said in a press release. "We’ll transform Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood, and Michigan Avenue, home to industry, dreamers, entrepreneurs and more, into a celebration of Irish history, culture and opportunity.”
Here's to hopefully celebrating in 2022??