The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in downtown Utica on Saturday, March 11.

Included in the parade was the 14th annual food drive, which has always benefited Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen in west Utica. The Food Drive was a success once again.

From the very generous people of the greater Utica-Rome area who were at the parade, along with those who donated at Notre Dame Elementary and at the Irish Cultural Center, we collected and donated about 950 food items to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen.

In addition to the food items, $2,000 was collected and donated! The food and the monetary donations will go a long way in helping the kitchen provide healthy and delicious meals to our neighbors in west Utica.

I want to give a big thank you to all who helped in any way, including the Adorino Construction family and friends, Notre Dame Elementary School, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, as well as several businesses that made monetary donations.

Also, we appreciate the various media — print, radio, and TV — who helped us get the word out about the food drive. Thank you all for your generosity. The people in the greater Utica-Rome area truly care about our neighbors!

- Chris Hoke, Holland Patent