Knights of St. Patrick Chairman John Tully (left) presents the check to Parade Chairman Sean Lane.
By Irish Echo Staff
The New York City Knights of Saint Patrick, a principal financial supporter of New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, have presented parade organizers with a seasonal gift in advance of parade season.
At a pre-Christmas gathering at the Yale Club the Knights handed over a check for $50,000 to the parade and an additional check to the Irish Arts Society for $5,000.
The Knights have been the largest financial supporter of the New York City parade, having donated more than $1.75 million over the years.
On behalf of the Parade Committee, Chairman Sean Lane accepted the $50,000 check from the Knights’ new board chairman, John Tully.
In his remarks, Mr. Lane said: "I want to thank John Tully and the Knights of Saint Patrick and congratulate the Knights as a fabulous organization. It's donated well over $1.75 million dollars at this point. By far the largest donors to the parade in history are the Knights of Saint Patrick."
Mr. Lane also recognized the memory of Eugene (Gene) McCarthy, who was chairman of the Board of the Knights until he passed away in the summer of 2019.
“Denis O’Connor, a good friend, introduced me to Gene McCarthy over 22 years ago,” said Chairman Lane.
“I want to say how thankful I am to have known Gene for this period of time. What a man of tremendous integrity he was.”
The Irish Arts Society received a check for $5,000 from the Knights, this to honor the memory of Gene McCarthy, a longtime supporter and advocate for the society’s important work, stated a release.
Accepting the check and speaking on behalf of the Irish Arts Society was Chad Newman.
Founded in 1988, the New York City Knights of Saint Patrick is a 501c3 nonprofit that strives to advance awareness and knowledge of Irish culture.
