GEC was out in full force on March 22nd , as a large group of GEC supporters, friends, staff, and families walked, marched, and floated in the Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade has been an annual event in Bay Ridge since 1993, when the parade was first launched by a group of Irish community and business leaders who wanted to share Celtic culture and the love of their Irish heritage. This year was an especially important one for those of us at GEC who wanted to celebrate with GEC’s very own Joseph Riley, one of the parade’s Deputy Marshals.
On parade day, Joe and his family and friends joined with many, many more of his GEC supporters who enjoyed participating in the parade. GEC was well represented with a beautifully decorated float, marchers proudly carrying the agency banner and residents and staff on the side lines waving posters and banners. GEC has many program sites in the Bay Ridge community with a number of residential group homes, apartments, and day programs. A large number of GEC’s 470 employees also reside in the community. Our residents and program participants enjoy working and volunteering in Bay Ridge and love being part of the Bay Ridge community’s special events, including participating in the annual parade. Joe appreciated seeing a great number of familiar faces lining the streets, supporting him as he marched, and in typical Joe style, ran off the parade route to greet the residents, participants and staff cheering him on.
Joe and some of his family and friends celebrated with other parade honorees at an earlier event at the El Caribe where each of the Deputy Marshals, the Grand Marshal, and the Irish Family of the Year were acknowledged for their contributions to the Bay Ridge community. After nearly 40 years of work at GEC, one of the largest employers in Bay Ridge, Joe continues to draw inspiration from the individuals GEC supports, their families, and the dedicated staff who serve them. The organization has long been embraced by the neighborhood, and Joe is grateful to be part of such a supportive community. This honor combined two things Joe has great enthusiasm for: GEC and his Irish heritage!
Special thanks to Billy and Karen Santo for sponsoring the float again for this year’s parade. The float allows many of our individuals who are unable to walk a distance to enjoy and actively participate in the parade. Billy and Karen are so gracious and the participants and staff enjoyed spending time with them at the parade.
