St Patrick’s Day Parade
The 20th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade sponsored by the Highlands Business Partnership will kick off SATURDAY, March 23 at 2 p.m., beginning at Huddy Park and ending at Bahrs Restaurants by the Captain Azzolina Bridge traveling the length of Bay Avenue.
The colorful St Patrick’s festivities will highlight Irish culture with nearly 120 marching units including bagpipers, marching bands, Irish dancers, and beautifully decorated floats. The parade will begin at Waterwitch Avenue and extend along Bay Avenue.
Timothy Hill, a graduate of Henry Hudson Regional School, and former director of the Highlands Recreation Department is the St Patrick’s grand marshal of the parade and represents decades of Highlands history and volunteer service not only in his own family but his wife’s family as well.
Hill is married to the former Laura Horan, whose family was involved in the community for many years, and whose late mother Jane was the co-founder of the Highlands Historical Society.
Tim’s great uncle, the late Joseph Dempsey, was borough mayor in 1949 and 50. His Aunt Clara was a founding member of Twin Light Historical Society.
The St Patrick’s grand marshal himself, while attending Brookdale, volunteered at the Highlands Recreation Department, and was hired in 1979, later working full time there and earning his degree as a recreational administrator, certified by the NJ Department of Community Affairs, In 1988, he completed requirements for his National Recreation and Park Association (NJRPA) and his New Jersey Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Professional Certification in Recreation Management. In 1984, late Mayor Robert Wilson appointed Tim as our Recreation Director and through Tim’s leadership and vision, many new activities, unique events and health and human service opportunities were offered for the pre-school, youth, teen, adult, and senior populations of Highlands.
In addition to the numerous youngsters aided by the programs offered by the Recreation Center under Tim’s leadership, Hill also oversaw park and beach improvements and general maintenance, resulting in successfully securing grants for the Borough partnerships to provide recreation and park related activities.
Hill served 37 years as a borough employee and more as a volunteer for the borough as well as the Highlands Business Partnership established in 1999.
Hill also served as borough administrator for more than five years and also served on the Planning Board, Highlands Depuration Committee, FEMA Long-Term Recovery Planning Team, and the Highlands Business Partnership’s Hope for Highlands Committee.
The Hills, who currently live in Orlando, Fla, have two children
The Business Partnership will host the annual “Competition of Floats” for all businesses and/or Organizations in the parade, competing in three (3) categories: Best of Show, Prettiest, and the Most Original. In addition, a trophy will be presented for the Best of Apparatus.
Participants representing military, political, civic, church, and other organizations will be in the line of march
The Henry Hudson Regional Marching Band and cheerleaders will perform with more than 100 members. Cadets from the NJROTC program at MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook, will present the honor guard at the beginning of the parade.
Pipe and Drum Bands include the Monmouth County Police & Fire Pipes & Drums, Middlesex County Police & Fire Pipes and Drums, Union County Police & Fire Pipes & Drums, Staten Island Pipes & Drums, and Patrick Torphy Pipes and Drums.
The Partnership urges the purchase of tickets for its “Lucky Pot of Gold” 50/50 Raffle. All proceeds “pay the pipers,” and winner need not be present for the drawing. Parade-goers will also receive free giveaways thrown from the many floats competing in the parade.
The parade is made possible by the Partnership and its sponsors; Monmouth County Tourism, Montecalvo/Bayshore Family of Companies, Bahrs Landing, Feed & Seed, Farmacie by the French Market, Dovetail Vintage Rentals, Hufnagel Tree Service, In the Garden, Off the Hook, Proving Ground, Seafarer, Sandbox at Seastreak Ferry, WRAT, 95.9, PKF O’Connor Davies Accountants and Advisors, The Brian & Joelle Kelly Family Foundation, and Driftwood Real Estate Group, Scott Inderwies.
For additional information, call 732.291.4713 or visit www.highlandsnj.com.
To facilitate parking accommodations for marching units buses, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church has moved its Palm Sunday vigil mass from the routine 4 p.m. mass to 6:15. The Church is on Route 36, Navesink Ave., across from the new Highlands Borough Hall.
