Call for funds for Saint Patrick's Day Parade (Phila. Enquirer) -- Irish Media Watch Message Board

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Date Posted: 04:45:21 02/14/09 Sat GMT
Author: Lynn
Subject: Call for funds for Saint Patrick's Day Parade (Phila. Enquirer)

Posted on Sat, Feb. 14, 2009

Call for funds for St. Patrick's parade
By Rita Giordano
Inquirer Staff Writer

In what is likely to become an increasingly common refrain in a financially strapped city, the organizers of Philadelphia's St. Patrick's Day parade are making a plea to private citizens and area businesses to help them come up with the tens of thousands of dollars for services that until this year the city provided free.

Otherwise, the 238-year-old parade, set for March 15, might be in jeopardy.

"We need to make an appeal to the public and corporations to keep it alive," said Michael Bradley, director of the parade, which typically started at Broad Street and Washington Avenue and ended at 20th Street and the Parkway.

According to Bradley, city government representatives told parade organizers about a month ago that the city would now have to charge parades for services such as police and sanitation, previously supplied free. But, Bradley said, the organizers didn't know how much, and hoped the city might manage some support.

"They originally told the Mummers they weren't going to get a dime, either," Bradley said.

This week, the city came in with a price tag. At first, Bradley said, it was $110,000 for the full parade route. "I think we were in shock," he said.

He said the city told the organizers that they could reduce that if they agreed to a shorter route, which they did. The revised route is about half as long and confined to Center City.

A couple of days later, Bradley said, the city indicated that it could provide the necessary services on the shortened route for $30,000.

While that was a big improvement - and Bradley said the city officials were very helpful and supportive - he said the organizers were already having a tough time raising the $70,000 they need every year for other parade-related expenses that the city has never paid for.

Now, with the parade just a month away, the amount they need to raise has grown by $30,000.

"There's no way we can raise that kind of money," the organizer said, acknowledging that the city said all the money did not have to be paid by parade time.

Mayor Nutter's spokesman, Doug Oliver, said yesterday that the administration announced in November that it no longer be able to fund support for special events like parades. An partial exception was made for the Mummers Parade for this year only, he said.

With recently announced back-to-back $1 billion deficits over the next five years, even a culturally oriented city has no choice but to require events to fund themselves, according to Oliver.

"We recognize parades often represent the social fabric of life in Philadelphia . . . but at the same time, there are expenses associated" that the city cannot now afford, Oliver said.

Bradley said he knew the city was facing tough economic times. Still, he said, the parade, which organizers said was the second-oldest in the country, brings money into the city economy, with visitors coming from as far as Ireland.

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Contact staff writer Rita Giordano at 856-779-3841 or rgiordano@phillynews.com.

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