The Spirit of the Irish Propels Food Drive

Bernie Adorino of Adorino Construction Inc. was looking for a non-profit cause he could help sponsor some 13 years ago. While visiting City Hall and chatting with city officials, he heard about the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee and decided to reach out. The committee at the time, with the urging of member Chris Hoke, decided to collect food during the parade for Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen (which opened its doors a year earlier). For Bernie, it seemed a good fit.

Every year since then Bernie has partnered with the parade committee to sponsor the food and money collection, providing manpower and wheelbarrows to collect donations along the parade route as well as a pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer.

Even though the parade was canceled for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the food drive continued, especially with the help of the students and families at Notre Dame Elementary School, Bernie noted. This year's parade on Saturday, March 12 was back to normal – except for a snowstorm that hit the area, inhibiting the number of parade-goers. Even so, the spirit of the Irish was at play.