By Dan McGrath
Leo was in such demand at the South Side Irish Parade that it sent two delegations to this year’s event, which marched down Western Avenue in the West Beverly neighborhood on Sunday March 16.
The chilly weather and occasional snow might have held down the crowd some, but no one from Leo complained, or even noticed. We were too busy acknowledging the “My dad went to Leo!” or “My grandpa went to “Leo!” cheers that greet us from the audience every year.
“We have a ton of alums in the general area of the parade, and it’s great for us to reconnect with our roots,” Leo President Dan McGrath said. “The kids always feel welcome. They enjoy it as much as the old-timers … present company included.”
The Big Shoulders Fund was featured as grand marshall of this year’s event. Leo, as a Big Shoulders school, was honored to provide more than a dozen students to march with the Big Shoulders contingent at the very front of the parade.
Further back, a delegation of 30-plus alums, staff, parents, friends and students marched alongside the Leo Alumni Association float, to greetings that were just as enthusiastic as those which greeted the first Leo group.
“All told, we must have had 50 people, which might be our largest group ever,” McGrath said. “The promise of a post-parade lunch didn’t hurt, but I think they would have come anyway.
“This is a good, fun day for everybody. And we really appreciate the opportunity to be involved.”