The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick is a charitable, non-profit organization that was started in 1979 by a small, but dedicated group of people whose primary goal was to put on the best St. Patrick's Day Parade the Inland Northwest could imagine. What happened was the creation of the largest St. Patrick's Day Parade west of the Mississippi.

Now, each year on the Saturday prior to St. Patrick's Day, The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick put together one of the most fun and entertaining parades in the region. Using proceeds from the parade, the Friendly Sons' passion for this event extends beyond the parade route each year when they provide cash donations to several area non-profit organizations to support the community. This, in general, is much in line with the initial organization founded in Philadelphia in 1771, interestingly enough, five years prior to the Declaration of Independence.

This annual parade is one event in Spokane that is open for total community involvement. Regardless of race, creed or color, everyone has just that wee bit of Irish that comes out in full spirit, whether you're a dyed-in-the-wool Irish person or just Irish-for-the-day, this is one event you won't want to miss.

The 27th annual St. Paddy's Day Parade was a big success and plans are already underway to prepare for the 28th edition which takes place on Saturday, March 11th, 2006. The public (Irish or not) is encouraged to take part either in the parade itself or in the planning and organization of the event.

Our next parade planning meetings will take place Every Wednesday between January 4 and March 8, 6:00 pm, at O'Doherty's Irish Grille, on Spokane Falls Blvd. All are welcome.

If you are interested in helping out or becoming a full fledged volunteer member, please send an e-mail to info@friendlysonsofstpatrick.com, or leave a message at 509.880.2785.