Armpit orchestra to march in Elmhurst St. Pat's parade

It's always a good idea to be careful about schemes hatched at wedding receptions.

No matter how incredible an idea may sound after partaking in a few adult beverages and several renditions of the Hokey-Pokey, it's a good bet it's not going to sound quite as brilliant the next morning.

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule.

Take, for example, the gathering last year that found Jim O'Connor, an Elmhurst businessman and chairman of the city's St. Patrick's Day Parade, standing around with Rich Reichert, the president of Community Bank of Elmhurst.

O'Connor, it seems, was in the market for another group to march in the milelong procession that goes down Spring Road from Wilson Street north to Eggleston Avenue. He was looking for something a little, shall we say, offbeat.

Reichert, in the tradition of straight-laced bankers everywhere, gave it some forehead-scrunching thought. Then he came up with the perfect solution.

Thus was born the Elmhurst Armpit Orchestra.

The group isn't necessarily as classy as it sounds. It started with 25 guys - mostly pillars of the business community - who dress in sleeveless T-shirts, hats, sunglasses and - you may want to shield your eyes - boxers with black socks.

The not-quite-precision marching group dazzled spectators at last year's parade with their touching renditions of "Yankee Doodle" and the theme from "Bridge on the River Kwai" performed on kazoos, bucket drums, washboards and cowbells.

The group's debut was such a rousing success that it will return to march again in this year's parade, which steps off at noon Saturday, March 13, with more than 90 units.

While there will be the usual assortment of floats and Irish dancers and bagpipers and Shriners riding magic carpets, they'll be hard-pressed to top the EAO.

Reichert says his group has even added 10 members since last spring. The guys probably will get together for only one rehearsal before donning their official boxers and heading for the parade route.

Reichert is the first to admit some orchestra members may be carrying a few extra pounds in addition to their kazoos, but the bottom line is he's convinced they not only play good, they look good, too.

He knows this to be true because of the response they get from their wives.

"We haven't seen our wives laughing that much in a long time," he says.

Jim O'Connor doesn't play the kazoo, but he has had a role in putting on the Elmhurst St. Patrick's Day Parade since its inception 14 years ago.

"I was part of it from the very beginning and I just kept getting more jobs," he says. "That first year we had three garbage trucks in the parade - anything to make it last an hour."

He became chairman six or seven years ago and the parade has continued to grow.

Some aspects of the task have gotten easier with time and experience - the demand for garbage trucks, for instance, has declined dramatically - but others have not.

The parade costs about $30,000 and traditionally has been funded through donations and with cash from the city. This time around, though, the city is facing some budget challenges, and so organizers are charging marching units a $90 fee to participate.

It's worth it for most of them because, if the weather holds, the parade usually attracts about 20,000 people.

O'Connor says his favorite part of the whole thing is the impact the parade has on his community. It has become a starting point, he says, for "one big party" that spills into area bars and restaurants and brings people together.

Walk through the neighborhood after the parade, he says, "and you have all these different tents with people having family parties."

O'Connor says his parents always told him it was important to do something for the community, and he figured organizing the parade would be a lot easier - and more popular - than serving on the school board or city council.

"You have to do something in your community," he says, "and you might as well do something people like."

Doing something that's good for the community, something that people like, is what lures people like Reichert to break out their kazoos for their show-stopping version of "The Colonel Bogey March." It's what keeps people like O'Connor working to keep the St. Patrick's Day Parade a vibrant, living thing.

"I'm bringing Christmas in March," O'Connor says. "That's what St. Patrick's Day is - it's the end of winter. I love it."

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p>

<p class="News"><b>What:</b> Elmhurst's St. Patrick's Day Parade</p>

<p class="News"><b>When: </b>Noon Saturday, March 13</p>

<p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Starts from Spring Road and Wilson Street</p>

<p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> Free</p>

<p class="News"><b>Info: </b><a href="http://elmhurststpatsparade.com" target="new">elmhurststpatsparade.com</a></p>