A Note Regarding the 2021 St. Patrick's Day Parade

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It is with great sadness that I announce, after heartfelt consideration, the Officers and Trustees of the Rutherford Irish American Association have elected to cancel Rutherford's Fourth Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in recognition of the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the RIAA was founded in July 2017, one goal was to host a St. Patrick's Day Parade that our community could enjoy and be proud of. We succeeded in that quest, with each of our first three parades getting bigger and better each year. Our hope was that our Fourth Annual Parade would build on the excitement and success of our first three parades. However, the threat of COVID-19 was one that could not be ignored. Recognizing that the health and safety of our members, parade participants, and our community as whole, remains our number one priority, we thought it best to cancel the 2021 parade and all its related events to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

Since we remain hopeful that the virus will be under control later this year, we will now focus our efforts on planning our 2022 parade to be held on March 6, 2022. In anticipation of that event, we have also elected to carry over our dignitaries from this year to next year so that they can receive their rightful recognition.

In closing, please accept our best wishes that you and your family have a happy and healthy 2021.

Regards,

Paddy Bonner