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WHEREAS, Pittsburgh Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, sponsored by the Irish Society for Education and Charity Inc. and the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee will be held on Saturday March 15, 2008; and,
WHEREAS, The St. Patrick's Day Parade, first held in 1869, has grown in size and splendor since 1950 and now consists of thousands of enthusiastic Irish marchers and draws tens of thousands of spectators to downtown Pittsburgh and has become the oldest and largest parade in the City of Pittsburgh and the second largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the country; and,
WHEREAS, the magnificent St. Patrick's Day Parade will feature marching bands, specialty acts, traditional Irish costumes and floats; and,
WHEREAS, in memory of an gorta Mor, "The Great Hunger" in 1847 in Ireland, the Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade has joined with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in collecting food for the less fortunate and asks marchers and watchers to bring non-perishable grocery items to 3 collection points; and,
WHEREAS, the parade will begin at 10:00 AM at the Mellon Arena, led by this year's Grand Marshall, James McEvoy , and will include "Miss Smiling Irish Eyes", TBD , and her court, TBD , and for St. Brigid's Court, TBD.
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend all of the organizers of and participants in the Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does, in honor of Pittsburgh's Irish community, hereby declares the week of March 9-15, 2008, to be "ST. PATRICK'S WEEK " in the City of Pittsburgh.