Miller Place-Rocky Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates 69th year
As the communities of Miller Place and Rocky Point, along with the neighboring hamlets of Brookhaven’s North Shore, are gearing up for an annual rite of spring, the Friends of St. Patrick are pleased to announce that the 69th annual Miller Place-Rocky Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Sunday, March 17.
The event will kick off at the comer of Harrison Avenue in Miller Place at 1 p.m. sharp and will proceed east along Route 25A before ending at the comer of Route 25A and Broadway in downtown Rocky Point. Route 25A will be closed to traffic at noon to prepare for the event.
The committee has named John McNamara as grand marshal of this year’s parade. John and his wife, Kathy, have resided in Rocky Point since 1978, where they raised four children and are the proud grandparents of six. McNamara taught at Maria Regina High School in Uniondale and has been the youth minister at St. Mark’s Parish in Shoreham since 1979. He has also been very involved in teaching and ministry at St. Louis de Montfort Church in Sound Beach and at his home parish, St. Anthony of Padua in Rocky Point.
In keeping with the tradition of recognizing aspiring young women in the community, the title of parade queen has been bestowed upon Jazmine Lang of Rocky Point. A junior at Rocky Point High School, as well as a gymnastics coach at Towers Gymnastics, Lang is a member of the Rocky Point Fire Department and is very active with charitable activities in her community. Her majesty loves to help not only people in need but also animals, as she is involved with Last Chance Animal Rescue. She participates in the law enforcement program at BOCES and aspires to become a Navy Seal. Lang is very excited to be named queen of the parade and to celebrate with the community she loves.
The queen will be graciously escorted at the parade by her lady-in-waiting, Emily Hampson, a resident of Sound Beach who has been either attending the parade or participating in it all her life.
A sophomore at the Fashion Institute of Technology, studying for a bachelor’s degree in home products, Hampson hopes to achieve a career in cookware or small appliances. All through her young life, she has been an active volunteer in her community and her church, including directing the Christmas Pageant and running concession at the Shoreham BMX track. Hampson was a member of the Miller Place Cheer Team and coached cheer for the Sharks Cheerleading team. While attending college in Manhattan, she spends much time in Sound Beach and still considers it home. She will proudly sit next to the queen waiving at the crowd on March 17.
This year’s parade will feature veteran and community groups and organizations, along with elected officials from all areas of our government for the anticipated crowd of more than 50,000. Of course, no parade would be complete without the presence of local fire departments, high school bands, Irish dancing, Scout troops and many colorful floats. Be sure to come down to cheer your favorite on! There is something on this special day for everyone, as this local parade reaches historic proportions by carrying on a 68-year community tradition.
Visit www.friendsofstpatrick.org for updates.