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Independence residents won't have to go to Kansas City next month to enjoy a festive St. Patrick's Day parade.
A much smaller version of the Kansas City parade will be staged in Independence on St. Patty's Day as a benefit for Sunshine Center.
When Independence attorney Les Wight first suggested Independence should have its own St. Patrick's Day parade, people thought "I was crazy," he said.
'You're not serious" was the usual response.
But when Wight suggested the parade as a fund-raiser for Sunshine Center, that was the clincher. All his detractors became his supporters.
Sunshine Center, at 607 W. Lexington Ave., has been serving children with developmental delays/disabilities, fragile medical conditions and physical disabilities since 1975.
An idea, with little or no support at first, has evolved into what is possibly the city's first organized St. Patrick's Day parade.
"St. Patrick's Day is a good time of the year to have a celebration," Wight said, noting almost everyone is tired of winter and wants to do something. "And I think, without going to real extremes, it's a great, fun time."
Wight, who has been practicing law in Independence for 17 years, says there are enough Irish in the community for a successful celebration.
"The Irish, he says, "are a segment of society that needs to be recognized, and I think they will come out of the woodwork for something like this."
If they do, the parade could exceed the expectations of Wight and the Order of Erin, a group planning the festive "Pot 'O Gold for Sunshine Center" parade.
The Independence parade isn't competing with Kansas City's big celebration. It will be an alternative, as well as a way for all Eastern Jackson Countians to show their Irish colors while helping the Sunshine Center.
"If we had 10 to 20 entries, I would be pleased," he said. "We'll just start small and see what happens."
Currently, the Order of Erin is working to lock in participants and "super sponsors" to help defray the costs of advertising and the purchasing of prizes for parade participants.
"We want to make everyone winners, if we can," said Wight, who is counting on the generosity of businesses to make the celebration a huge success.
Anyone Irish or Irish at heart is invited to participate in the parade, which begins at 11:30 a.m. March 17, a Thursday, at Lexington Avenue and Union Street. After picking up the kids at Sunshine Center, the parade will jog north on Pleasant Street to
Maple Avenue, then east to Main Street, south to Lexington and back to the starting point.
Wight says there are no parade restrictions.
"Anything that would make a good parade entry would be wonderful to have," he said, including floats, walkers, clowns, musical groups, antique cars and fire trucks, motorcycles and horses.
And if there are any equestrian entries, Wight says he'll be walking behind them prepared to scoop up their droppings.
Because the parade is a fund-raiser for Sunshine Center, participants will be asked to pay a small fee: $1 for each walker and $10 per float or motorized vehicle. Children can participate free.
"The idea is to let the commercial entries make some money for the Sunshine kids," he said.
In keeping with the Pot 'O Gold theme, Wight plans to put a large pot in a wheelbarrow for spectators to fill with coins and dollar bills.
"Maybe we can get some money from the onlookers," said Wight, a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.
Wight is hopeful local bar-restaurants will be the largest fund-raisers. He's asking these establishments to challenge other establishments in a "battle of the bars" to see which one can raise the most money for Sunshine Center.
"If we do that as successfully as I hope we might, we will probably have a big presentation at the winner's place after the parade," he explained.
Calling the parade a grass-roots effort, Wight says the Order of Erin needs all the help it can to make the first-ever event a success for all concerned.
The public is invited to the Order of Erin's next planning meeting. It begins at 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at Whiskey & Roses, 13520 E. U.S. 40, Independence. Supporters will have the opportunity to share ideas, make suggestions and volunteer their services.
For more information about how to become involved, call Lisa at (816) 836-4000 or e-mail her at Lisa@familymatter.com.
You can also visit the Order of Erin at: www.orderoferin.bravehost. com.
To reach Frank Haight Jr., send e-mail to frank.haight @examiner.net or call him at (816) 350-6363.
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