Above / The Emerald Dinner, held annually on the last Saturday in February, combines good food, good friends, and good music for a good cause.
During February and March, the West Suburban Irish go into full jig with St. Patrick’s events to benefit St. Baldrick’s Foundation and other charitable causes.
Now that the Emerald Dinner is a fond memory of crowning the 2017 St. Patrick’s Parade Queen and watching award-winning entertainment by McNulty’s Irish Dancers, members of the West Suburban Irish are preparing to showcase more of their fundraising know-how and community spirit during the monthly Quiz Night at Quigley’s, annual St. Patrick’s Parade on March 11 and Irish Mass on March 14.
WSI Quiz Night / 7PM March 7
Trivia enthusiasts can enter team play when the West Suburban Irish host the monthly Quiz Nights throughout the year at Quigley’s Irish Pub, located at 43 E. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Naperville.
The next WSI Quiz Night begins at 7PM Tues., March 7, where teams with clever names vie for silly prizes.
Categories for the March Quiz Night will be “Irish Americans,” “Swimming in the same Gene Pool” and “It’s not easy being Green.”
This month’s Web Bonus Question is in two parts: Who was the first Irish American to become President of the United States? Who was the first person born in America to become President of Ireland?
Find the answers at www.wsirish.org.
Tell the officials at WSI Quiz Night that Positively Naperville sent you and you just might win another ridiculous prize there, too.
Collectible Scarf / Still $5
Fun-loving WSI members now are selling collectible Irish-theme scarves ($5 each). They’ll be available at Quiz Night. Spectators also will find street vendors selling the popular scarves all along the parade route. Proceeds from scarf sales go to St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
St. Patrick’s Parade / March 11
Nancy Quigley, owner of Quigley’s Irish Pub in downtown Naperville, will serve as 2017 Grand Marshall of the annual St. Patrick’s Parade, slated to step off at 10AM Sat., March 11, from Naperville North High School, meandering through downtown Naperville.
Spots for businesses and candidates running in the April 4 Consolidated Election for nonprofits and sponsors are now closed for registration. Spectators are welcome, so come on downtown, enjoy the parade, then stay for lunch and spend a little green.
Irish Mass / March 14
Because of the early parade date this year, the Irish Mass will be held a little closer to St. Patrick’s Day, beginning at 7PM on Tues., March 14. The public is welcome to attend the mass featuring Irish hymns and instrumental music, followed by an Irish soda bread reception to honor the memory and good deeds of St. Patrick. The Irish Mass will be held at St. Raphael Church, located at 1215 Modaff Road, south of Gartner.
Above / Organizers of the Rotary Club of Naperville-Sunrise St. Paddy’s Day 5K have created a banner presence in the St. Patrick’s Parade since 2012.
St. Paddy’s Day 5K /March 11
Organized in cooperation with the West Suburban Irish, the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise St. Paddy’s 5K starts at 8AM, also on Sat., March 11, in downtown Naperville.
Since its inaugural run in 2012, this 5K event has been for racers, runners and walkers to benefit many good causes. Professional timing services (e.g., chip time) will be used to ensure race time accuracy. The race is limited to 3,000 participants. Adults are $35. Youngsters 14 and under are $25.
“The run will start at Centennial Beach and follow the parade route, as it has in years past,” said race director and Sunrise Rotarian Mark Schroeder. “The post-race party will include corned beef sandwiches, green beer and music. It’s a fun party for the runners and volunteers before the parade starts.”
Schroeder added that this year’s race is supporting the National Alliance on Mental Illness of DuPage County (“NAMI DuPage”) and its early intervention program called Ending the Silence. This program helps teens learn to recognize the early warning signs of mental illness and what to do if they or someone they know is exhibiting these signs. In the last academic year this program reached more than 19,000 students across DuPage county, including close to 6,000 students in Naperville.
Registration now in progress
Online registration to participate in the St. Paddy’s Day 5K is now in progress. The deadline for the parade is past.
