Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee announce the cancellation in light of COVAD-19 outbreak.
Press Release
image sourced from Bellingham.org
Bellingham, Wash. - (03/11/2020)
It is with a heavy heart that the Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is choosing to cancel this year’s Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade due to the current status of the COVID-19 situation within Whatcom County.
On 10 March, 2020, the Health Department made recommendations for the community to “ cancel or postpone non-essential large public gatherings” for “large gatherings of 10-50 people or more”. As these recommendations stem from the Whatcom County Health Department’s declaration of a public health emergency within Whatcom County, the Parade Committee believes this decision is necessary in order to keep our community safe during this time.
The Committee is strongly supporting all of the recommendations made by the Health Department in its announcement and encourages the public to celebrate the upcoming holiday in other ways with these suggestions in mind.
“In lieu of coming to the parade, we recommend that people choose to get outside and recreate, donate food to the local food bank, and donate blood if you’re healthy,” says Parade Committee Chair Janet Lightner.
The Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee will discontinue its plans for the parade this Saturday, 14 March, but hopes to offer similar activities at a later point in time when it is safer for the community to gather.
It may rain on our parade this time, but there’s always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Stay tuned for all of the fun festivities the Committee has planned for celebrating during the calm after the storm!
The Committee sends out thoughts of strength, calm and health during this concerning time for our community and encourages all to follow the Health Department’s suggestions of washing hands, staying home when feeling sick and keeping a safe distance from those who are at a higher risk of severe illness.
Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a nonprofit, community-wide event honoring all local public safety personnel by celebrating and inspiring sustainability in the hope of making our city a cleaner, greener, safer place we call home.
For more information, visit: www.stpatsbham.com
