Nothing Will Dampen High Spirits on St. Patty’s Day

The forecast calls for rain on Saturday, March 13, the day North Wildwood’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled to march down Atlantic Avenue.
On Saturday morning at 9 a.m., Mayor Bill Henfey and Council will decide whether the festivities will take place outside as planned or whether they’ll be moved indoors.
In that case, the ceremony that would take place on the steps of city Hall will move to the Recreation Center at 10th and Central avenues.
The ceremony will start at 11:30 a.m. with the same agenda as was planned, with Mayor Bill Henfey welcoming everyone, and Rev. Joe Wallace of Notre Dame de la Mer Parish offering the invocation.
The three Co-Grand Marshals this year Mike Maguire, president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH); Chuck Meissler, president of the Cape May County Emerald Society; and Joe Rullo, president of the Anglesea Irish Society, will address the crowd.
There will be a ceremonial raising of the Irish Flag by North Wildwood Police Lieut. Vicki Skill and North Wildwood Firefighter Dominick McClain. Both the Irish and American National Anthems will be sung by Mary Pat Hastings.
The following special guests will attend: President of the National AOH Seamus Boyle, Vice President of the James T. O’Reilly Division 1 AOH Dan Bosak, former North Wildwood Councilman Hank Rice, Sergeant John Stevenson of the North Wildwood Police Department and member of the “Circle of Honor” as founding member of Second Street Irish Society in Philadelphia, and Miss North Wildwood Deneen Marie Piotrowski.
The program will conclude with a Benediction by Deacon Joe Pierce of Notre Dame de la Mer Parish.
If Plan B is necessary, instead of the Parade, there will be entertainment in the Rec Center after the ceremony. The Philly Phanatic, Duffy String Band and Wildwood Drum & Pipe band will perform in a show lasting about three quarters to one hour long.
Mayor Henfey said, “St. Patrick’s Day is very special to us in North Wildwood, especially this year after such a difficult winter. You can bet that the celebration will go on, no matter what the weather does.”