The Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Food Drive representatives presented a check representing $2,000 in cash donations and 1,000 non-perishable food items to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen at St. Joseph-St. Patrick Church, 702 Columbia St., Utica, on March. 24.
“We are grateful to have had another successful St. Patrick’s Day Parade Food Drive,” said Co-chairs Adorino and Hoke in a statement. “Thanks to the many generous people in the greater Utica area who support this cause every year!”
Since 2009, the Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade has conducted a food drive in connection with the event – held annually the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, Mar. 17, co-chaired by Bernie Adorino of Utica-based Adorino Construction, Inc. and former Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Co-Grand Marshal with husband, Mike, Chris Hoke.
Including this year, 2026, approximately 17,000 food items and more than $26,000 have been collected during the annual food drive in conjunction with the parade, all donated directly to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen.
Despite discouraging winter weather on “Parade Day” this year, donations of non-perishable food items were up slightly from last year, thanks largely to the staff and students at Notre Dame Elementary School who, for 10 years, have been hosting their own Parade Food Drive at the school two weeks before the Parade.
Their collection, which is added to the In-Parade collection, was about 65-70% of the total food donated.
During the parade, over $1,000 in cash donations were collected, which was augmented by 15 on-line donations totaling almost $400 using a QR Code, which was a new means to make donations this year. Individual donations from several people, as well as from Adorino Construction – totaling approximately $600 – pushed the 2026 grand total to $2000.
Food drive and parade coordinators join Mother Marianne’s Kitchen in “a big shout out” to Adorino Construction employees, Notre Dame Elementary School and Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School which collaborated to turn out approximately 40 volunteers who braved the snow and cold to walk in the Parade, enthusiastically carrying signs and collecting food and monetary donations.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Food Drive during Utica St. Paddy’s Parade donates $2K
Reporting by Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
