Our CEO, Mary Ellen Caron, was the Guest of Honor at the 70th annual Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade last weekend, helping to lead the parade down Columbus Drive. With her family’s Irish roots (all four grandparents were from Ireland), Mary Ellen was truly honored to participate in this Chicago celebration.
Sponsored by the Chicago Plumbers Local Union 130 UA since 1955, the parade is a well-loved Chicago tradition. The day starts with dyeing the Chicago River, using an environmentally safe orange vegetable-based powder that turns a fluorescent green when it makes contact with the water. This tradition started in 1962, originally based on a substance used by plumbers to find leaks in pipes.
As Guest of Honor, Mary Ellen was invited to be a part of this ritual, riding on the official VIP boat watching the dyeing up close.
This year’s parade’s theme was “Trades, Technology, and Education,” making it a perfect fit for the leader of After School Matters. Mary Ellen’s lifelong commitment to providing educational opportunities to Chicago’s young people includes her work as a school teacher, principal, and Commissioner of the City’s Department of Family Support Services.
We are excited to see Mary Ellen being honored by Chicago’s Irish community and celebrated for the work she does to make this a better city.
Photos 1 and 3 courtesy of Block Club Chicago and Shutterstock.