Stratford Woman Garners Two Large Gifts For St. Pat’s Parade

The Greater Bridgeport St Patrick's Day Celebration Committee announced it received two gifts of $10,000, totaling $20,000 to support its 2020 parade in downtown Bridgeport. The gifts are from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 488 and the Robert F. and Maureen T. O’Keefe Family Foundation. Both organizations are longtime supporters of the annual parade, but this is the first year that both organizations gave at the $10,000 level in the same year. It costs about $75,000 to run the annual celebration festivities.

“IBEW Local 488 and the O’Keefe Family help preserve Irish culture and tradition in greater Bridgeport and for that we are most grateful,” stated Mary Ann Doonan, parade grand marshal. “Our goal is to attract other sponsors so we can plan an extraordinary parade to honor St. Patrick and the many Irish-Americans in our community,” Doonan added.

Both organizations will be recognized at the 2020 Grand Marshal's Ball on Friday, January 24 at 7 PM at Vazzano's Four Seasons in Stratford. This year’s Grand Marshal is Mary Ann Doonan of Stratford, a longtime leader in the Irish community who is retired from People’s United Bank. The first woman president of the Gaelic American Club in Fairfield, Doonan’s primary concern was her ability to attract sponsors for the 2020 parade. It is ironic that she was able to help raise these two large gifts.

For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Dave Mullany at 203-685-8711 or email djmullany@wiffle.com or John Brannelly JBrannelly@aol.com at 619-405-3523 or visit the parade’s website website www.stpatricksdaybridgeport.com