March 14th, 2004 - 2nd and Market to City Hall in San Francisco. Celebrate Irish Heritage and to promote the 152 Annual San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the longest running parades in America, being held on March 14th. The theme for this year is “Building for the Future.” Organizers will talk about this year’s parade and future parades.

Who: The United Irish Societies, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Grand Marshal Peggy McDonald, Organizers of the 152 Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Irish Dancers, Floats, Various Parade Units, Music, Art, etc.

What: 152 Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade- “Building for the Future”

When: March 14th at 12:00 PM

Where: 2nd and Market to City Hall
Why:     Celebrate Irish Heritage and to promote the 152 Annual San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the longest running parades in America, being held on March 14th. The theme for this year is “Building for the Future.” Organizers will talk about this year’s parade and future parades.

Parade route: The Parade will start at 2nd and Market Streets at 12noon and will proceed along the following route: Northwest on Market Street to Eigth and Grove to Polk, right on Polk passing review stand in Civic Center Park across fom City Hall main entrance. Then proceed to McAllister and Polk streets, turning on McAllister and then disband.

The United Irish Societies of San Francisco will hold the annual St
Patrick¹s Day Parade on Sunday, March 14. The parade will start from the junction of Second and Market and work its way down Market Street eventually ending up at the reviewing stand outside City Hall. Recent years have seen a welcome resurgence of interest in the Parade and organizers are confident that attendances will be up even further this year. They have good reason to be confident. There promises to be more and better designed floats than ever before, along with the thrill of marching bands and troops of dancers. The theme of this year¹s parade is "Building for the Future" and that is exactly what the UIS is striving to do with the Parade‹to encourage young people to participate now and in years to come.

This year¹s Grand Marshal is Peggy McDonald, who has been an active and
productive member of the Irish Community since she arrived in San Francisco in 1963, with her husband, Joe. Peggy, from Drogheda in County Louth, has been a Past President of Division 2 of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, the LAOH County Board, and served as LAOH State President from 1989-1991. She was the first woman elected President of the UIS and remains on that organization¹s Board to this day. She is also a Past President of the United Irish Cultural Center. The McDonalds own the Sunset Restaurant on Noriega Street in the west of the City.

The Honorary Grand Marshal is Frank O¹Keefe, a native of County Cork, who died sadly last year.

The UIS is also organizing other events to mark St Patrick¹s Day. On Sunday March 7th, at 9:45am, will be the Laguna Honda Day Mass and St. Patrick's Day Party in the main auditorium of Laguna Honda Hospital.

On Friday March 12th at 7pm, the Grand Marshal's Dinner Dance will be held at United Irish Cultural Center. For information or tickets contact Philomena Kiely at 415-337-9105.

On Sunday March 14th, at 9am the annual St Patrick's Day Mass will be said prior to the Parade at St Patrick's Church, located at Mission and 4th Streets.

For more information on the Parade and other events please log on to:
www.sfstpatricksdayparade.com