St. Charles Kiwanis to be grand marshal in St. Patrick's Parade
St. Charles Kiwanis, branched from Kiwanis International, will serve as grand marshal for the 16th annual St. Patrick's Parade, which will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14. Kiwanis International, located in 80 nations, is celebrating 100 years of service in 2015.
As an organization of service and community minded individuals, Kiwanis International supports children and young adults around the world. One of the top priorities for the St. Charles Club is "Young Children: Priority One." This initiative places a continuing focus on the needs of children in the Fox Valley communities.
The St. Charles Kiwanis club, established in 1964, is made up of nearly 80 members. Their goal is to serve the children of the world, providing yearly grants totaling $65,000 to $70,000 to approximately 40 local organizations. All of the St. Charles Kiwanis grants are geared toward helping children in the Fox Valley area.
St. Charles Kiwanians volunteer regularly in the Electric Christmas and St. Patrick's parades. They are also dedicated Salvation Army bell ringers every November and December, volunteers for the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association's "Day in the Park" project at Pottawatomie Park and volunteer monthly at Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva.
The parade steps off at 2 p.m. on Main Street, between Sixth Street and Fourth Avenue. St. Charles Kiwanians will walk and ride a professional float, courtesy of Fox Valley Buick GMC and Fox Valley Volkswagen, near the front of the parade.
Current parade sponsors include: (Presenting) Fox Valley Buick GMC and Fox Valley Volkswagen; (Gold) Advanced Disposal, Onesti Entertainment, Kane County Chronicle, McNally's Heating & Cooling; (Silver) Delnor Express Care, McNally's Traditional Irish Pub, Pheasant Run Resort, Rookies Pub & Grill, Valley Ambulatory Surgery Center; and (Bronze) H&R Block, Spare Wheels Transportation, St. Charles Veterinary Clinic and AHC Advisors Inc.
This year's parade will feature Irish dancers, authentic Irish music, school groups, bands, preschools, service clubs, and an array of floats. The event will draw up to 10,000 people from around the area to watch and participate in the parade. In addition to the parade, the St. Charles Veterinary Clinic is sponsoring a Deck out Your Lucky Dog Contest, and decorated dogs will be invited to walk in the parade. Additionally, the Arcada Theatre will host a dance show that features area dance troupes beginning at 10 a.m.
For information, visit www.DowntownStCharles.org, call the Downtown St. Charles Partnership office at (630) 443-3969, or email info@downtownstcharles.org.
The mission of the Downtown St. Charles Partnership is to enhance the economic viability and to preserve the character and beauty of Downtown St. Charles. In addition to business recruitment, business assistance and downtown preservation, the partnership produces the St. Charles Fine Art Show and Holiday Homecoming. For more information about the partnership, including membership, volunteer opportunities and events, visit www.downtownstcharles.org.