Midtown/Broadway/Westport have been fantastic hosts for our annual event for the last couple of years and we’re ecstatic to be back.

St. Patrick’s Day
Saturday, March 17
Broadway from 33rd Street (Linwood) to 43rd Street
11:00am – Start until approx. 1:00pm

Television

Television coverage will once again be provided by our great friends at FOX 4. Live coverage of the parade will be on their sister station 4.2. A one-hour commercial free highlight show will be aired from 4-5pm on Fox 4.

Maps & Parking

Will be posted this week.

Family Attractions

St. Patrick’s Day at Browne’s Irish Market & Deli
33rd & Pennsylvania
All day
Bring the kids to the Wee Irish Village with moonwalks, face painting, balloon animals and plenty of family fun.

We look forward to seeing everyone on St. Patrick’s Day.

In an effort to be a good neighbor to our mid-town hosts, we’ve asked for area property owners to consider opening their parking facilities to the general public for the Parade. If you’re coming to the Parade, we ask that you consider using one of the parking facilities listed below or use public transportation. Some of the lots are free while others are charging a fee. For many of those charging a fee, the proceeds are going to good causes.

PRINTABLE MAP

Arriving from the North

• Select Physical/MainCor Lot
• Just Off Broadway Theatre
• Park Reserve Condos Garage
• Redemptorist Church
• Historic Norman School
• Uptown Shoppes
• Sprint Store/Direct Auto Lot

Arriving from the South and West

• Sunfresh Parking Lot
• Manor Square Garage
• Former Chili’s Lot
• Buzzard Beach Lot
• Mill Street On-Street Parking

Arriving from the East

• Select Physical/MainCor Lot
• Just Off Broadway Theatre
• Park Reserve Condos Garage
• Redemptorist Church
• Willow Woods Child Development Center
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Parade Day Bus Routes

Obviously, the Parade disrupts existing bus routes due to street closures. The KCATA has posted its reroutes for Parade Day – READ MORE

If you are interested in using The Metro to come to the Parade, bus routes closest to the Parade are:

MAX
47-Roanoke
51-Broadway
57-South Oak

Riders should use any stops between Linwood (33rd Street) and Westport Road. Also available are a number of Park and Ride locations. These are available at the KCATA website.

The Parade Committee receives no revenue from these parking lots. We are simply publicizing their locations as a public service.

• Grand Marshal – Kathy Quinn
• Mike Murphy Honorary Irishperson of the Year – Keli O’Neill Wenzel
• Cullinan Family Spirit Winner – Fritts/Maguire Family
• Flag Bearer – Dan Dolan

Congratulations to all. You are very deserving.

Donate Online – This year we have recruited other Irish organizations and businesses to join us in an online competition through the Virtual Food Drive to raise the most. When you donate online, you can choose the school, organization or business to donate on behalf of.

About Harvesters — The Community Food Network

Harvesters is celebrating 33 years of service in 2012. As Kansas City’s only food bank, Harvesters is a clearinghouse for the collection and distribution of food and related household products. Covering a 13-county metropolitan area, Harvesters serves more than 550 not-for-profit agencies including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, children’s homes, homes for the mentally disabled and shelters for battered persons. Agencies in Harvesters’ network provide food assistance to more than 50,000 different people each week. Harvesters is a certified member of America’s Second Harvest, a nationwide network of 200 food banks, serving all 50 states.

For more information, visit www.harvesters.org.

The Gaelic Mass is open to all, Irish or not, Catholic or not. Please come celebrate with us this most significant part of the St. Patrick’s season as we pay tribute to our patron saint.

March 3, 2012
Redemptorist Church
3333 Broadway
Kansas City, Missouri | map
5:00pm – Please arrive early for parking

Members of the Christine O’Riada Academy of Irish Dance will lead us down the aisle. They will be followed by the bagpipes and the presidents of the local Irish committees.

After communion, new members will be inducted into the “Order of St Patrick”. The Kansas City Police Emerald Society will be assisting mass goers with parking.

Mike Murphy helped make St. Patrick’s Day in Kansas City a special holiday. From a cheery little walk around the block of a downtown bar, the Parade turned into the largest one- day celebration in the city. Mike was proud of the Irish. We are proud of him. He was a legendary broadcaster, a friendly man and as Mike would always say of all his friends, “he’s a pal!” Mike you will always be our pal. Our prayers go out to your family and your many friends. Thank you for all you did for us. As the Irish blessing says, “May God hold you in the palm of his hand”.

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Another great tournament this year. Thank you to all the golfers, sponsors, and volunteers for making this the most successful tournament in years. Look for the 24th Annual Rub in August of 2012. See you then.

Here is the complete obituary from the Kansas City Star:

Mr. John Thomas O’Neal was born at St. John’s Hospital in Joplin, Mo., on Sept. 8, 1948, to Tom “Bud” Cecil O’Neal and Nina Irene Roland O’Neal who preceded him in death. John married Ethel Pipes O’Neal on April 18, 1970. John and Ethel resided in Overland Park, Kan. John died at home surrounded by his family and close friends on July 2, 2010, after a long battle with cancer. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend. John was proud to be a member of Bud Park Christian Church’s Boy Scout Troop 165 where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Northeast High School in Kansas City, Mo., in 1966 and went on to earn a degree in Economics from UMKC in 1970. He also earned his MBA at UMKC in 1976 while going to school at night and working for the Federal Reserve. John started working at DST Systems, Inc. in the Portfolio Accounting Department in 1977 and continued working there for the rest of his life. He always felt lucky that he met his friend, and future boss at DST, Tom McDonnell, at Army Officer Candidate School. John continued to be an active member in the MO National Guard where he received many honors including The Army Commendation Medal in 1983. He retired from the National Guard with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. John enjoyed being active in the Kansas City community and many Irish American organizations. He served as a board member for the KC Sports Commission and Seton Center and enjoyed being an honorary coach for the annual NAIA Men’s Basketball Tournament. He was a former president of the Celtic Fringe and the Fr. Bernard Donnelly Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Kansas. He was also a volunteer for the Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, Children for Peace and The KC Irish Festival. For many years, John sang the National Anthem and the Irish National Anthem in English and Gaelic to kick-off The St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He also served on the board of The Kansas City Irish Museum and in March 2010 they honored John with the Chieftain award in recognition for his hard work and dedication to the Irish Community. In 2010, John’s brother Hibernians named him Irish Man of the Year. Several years ago John also received the Freedom for All Ireland Award from the Padraig Pearse Division of AOH KCMO to recognize his skills as an organizer and consensus builder in the KC Irish Community. Irish American Magazine listed John as one of the top 50 Irish American business leaders in July 2008. He is survived by his wife, Ethel; son, John Thomas O’Neal II; daughter, Leigh Ann O’Neal Wood; daughter-in-law, Sheila Curry O’Neal; son-in-law, Garrett Wood; grandchildren, Emma O’Neal, Johnny O’Neal, and Eleanor Wood; sister, Sandy O’Neal Brown and brother-in- law, Larry Brown. Several aunts and uncles, sisters-in-law, cousins, and many nieces and nephews survive him. The visitation and rosary will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday July 6, at The Church of the Nativity, 3800 West 119th Street, Leawood, Kan. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 7, at Nativity with burial to follow at the Johnson County Memorial Gardens, 11200 Metcalf. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Children’s Mercy Hospital’s Cancer Center in honor of John’s granddaughter, Eleanor, who is being treated for leukemia, or to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Fond memories and condolences for the family may be left at www.johnsoncountychapel.com Arrangements: D.W. Newcomer’s Sons Johnson County Chapel, (913) 451-1860.

Published in Kansas City Star from July 5 to July 6, 2010