Downtown Lee’s Summit’s Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Parade Winners Announced

Posted by GSDispatch Editor in Events, GSD Online, by Downtown Lee’s Summit

The Fifth Annual Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held Saturday, March 13, in Downtown Lee’s Summit. Over 60 floats and 800 people entered the parade. Despite the cold temperature and rain, many spectators watched along the parade route.

The theme for this year’s parade was “Show me your heritage – what’s in your Irish stew?” Entries interpreted the theme in various ways, including flying the flags of their ancestors, sharing favorite Irish music or showcasing traditional Irish dancers. In the end, seven awards were given out which included: St. Patrick’s Award (Best Irish Theme) – Doherty & Sullivan’s Irish Goods; Shamrock Award (Best Business Entry) – O’Riada Dance Academy; Best Float Award – Helms Grandkids & Family; Best Marching Unit – Lee’s Summit Community Christian School Cheer Squad; Best Musical Entry – KC Drum Tribe; Best Vehicle Award – KC Jeep Club; and Most Unique -Troy Lentz’ electrical vehicle. All winners were presented with trophies following the parade.

An Emerald Isle coloring contest was also held in conjunction with the parade. Lee’s Summit preschool and elementary school children were invited to get creative and color a picture of a leprechaun sliding down a rainbow into a pot of gold. After reviewing nearly 100 entries, judges picked the following winners: 1st Place – Kendra G.; 2nd Place – Hayden T.; 3rd Place – Anamaria S.; Pre-school – Clay H. All coloring contest winners received gift certificates to downtown businesses.

This year’s Grand Marshall was Kathy Smith, President of the Lee’s Summit Historical Society and Lee’s Summit Historic Preservation Commission. Parade co-chairs included Chuck Denton of Doherty & Sullivan’s Irish Goods and Mary Pechar of Green Beauty Salon & Day Spa. Parade sponsors were Bank of Lee’s Summit and The Lee’s Summit Journal.

The Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Parade is presented by Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit. For more information, please visit www.downtownls.org or call 816-246-6598.

For more photos from the event, visit the Dispatch’s Facebook photo album : http://ow.ly/1jCeJ