ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The St. Patrick Society, Quad Cities, U.S.A., will present Grand Parade XXVIII on Saturday, March 16, at 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Fourth Avenue and 23rd Street. The parade will travel through downtown Rock Island and downtown Davenport, Iowa.
Mass will be celebrated prior to the parade, at 10 a.m., at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Rock Island.
Parade applications are available from Julie Walton at spsparade@me.com or (563) 505-9779. They are due March 1.
One day earlier, on Friday, March 15, the St. Patrick Society will host the annual Gathering of the Clan Luncheon at The RiverCenter in Davenport from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Introductions of the Irish Mother of the Year and Grand Parade XXVIII Marshal will be made. In addition, the St. Patrick Society Scholarship winner will also be recognized. The luncheon is open to the public; cost is $15 in advance, $20 the day of the event. For reservations, contact Vic or Kathy Quinn at (563) 322-7505 or VKEQuinn@aol.com by March 11.
Nominations for the Irish Mother of the Year must be original letters of approximately 150 words. A nominee should be involved in family, church and community, have a good sense of humor, and demonstrate pride in her Irish ancestry.
Mail nominations to the St. Patrick Society, Quad Cities U.S.A. Attn. Irish Mother Nomination, at P.O. Box 4487, Davenport, Iowa 52808 by March 1.
Deadline for applications for a $1,000 scholarship is March 1. Applications are available from high school counselors or from Matt Wissing at wissingm@yahoo.com, or (563) 265-9353.
Applicants must be related to a current St. Patrick Society member and show a good grade point average, class standing, and SAT/ACT scores. Involvement in extracurricular school and community activities will also be considered. Letters of recommendation from educators, counselors, employers and others are helpful.
For more information, visit www.stpatsqc.com.
