The Village of Floral Park held a first-of-its-kind celebration this Saturday: Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day.
“We think it’s a great community event,” said Eric O’Connor, the first assistant chief of the Floral Park Fire Department.
O’Connor said the department organized the parade to support the volunteer department’s recruitment efforts, which he said is in “desperate need” of new members.
“We thought that doing a Halfway to St Patrick’s Day parade would do two things: It would highlight the department and the members, and the work they do. And, hopefully, it’ll really inspire some people from the community to take an active role and look into possibly joining,” O’Connor said. “We need new members, and we think this is a great way to get them.”
Roughly 200 people marched through downtown Floral Park, decked out in green and St. Patrick’s Day garb, to raise awareness for the fire department’s need for new members. Some took their outfits so far that children told their parents they “saw a real leprechaun.”
Residents along the route appreciated the out-of-the-ordinary festivity celebrating the Irish, including Una Hayden, who said it made her happy to hear there would be a parade celebrating the halfway point to the holiday in her village.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Hayden said. “My parents were born in Ireland. I love celebrating my Irish heritage.”
Underneath the fun day, O’Connor said the need for new members in the fire department is serious business.
We could really use a lot of new members,” O’Connor said. “We really want to highlight the Floral Park Fire Department and really push recruitment.”
Though serving as a Floral Park firefighter is a volunteer role, the first responders get a slew of benefits, including entrance into a pension program that provides them with $1,200 per year of service after retirement and village tax discounts.
A handful of Irish groups marched alongside the Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Bellerose Terrace, Manhasset-Lakeville, and Garden City Park Fire Departments and the American Legion.
For them, the parade served as an important testament to their heritage.
“It’s meaningful,” said PJ Smith, the president of the Cavan Association. “It’s the first parade in Floral Park, so it means a lot, because there’s a lot of Irish here in Floral Park.”
Smith, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from County Cavan, Ireland, said the association has represented Irish immigrants since the late 1840s.
The procession was led by Dominick Ciritelli, a 102-year-old World War II veteran. He was presented with an award for his service in Normandy at the end of the parade prior to a sequence of performances from local dance studio JJ’s Dance and Irish musical groups, including the Swords of Light Pipe and Drum Band and County Cork.
Floral Park residents can apply to join the department by visiting the department’s website or the firehouse, located adjacent to village hall.
