The parade is sponsored by the Brookside Business Association and the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.

Kansas City, Mo. - infoZine - Wear your green and join us for the 26th annual Brookside St. Patrick's Warm-Up Parade, sponsored by the Brookside Business Association and the Kansas City Neighborhood Tourism Fund on Saturday, March 11 at 2:00 PM in the Brookside Shopping District.

More than 90 organizations representing groups and families of all ages participate in this fun, family-oriented event. Parade entries march or ride in a variety of vehicles from red wagons to floats to classic cars. Additionally, there will be clowns, drill teams, bands, horses, dogs and much more!

Prizes will be awarded for best float and best musical group. These two winners will also be given a free entry into the Downtown St. Patrick's Parade on March 17.

Ron Klapmeyer and Keith Croll, of the Brookside Phillips 66 station, have been named Co-Grand Marshals of this year's parade. The Phillips 66 station has been a Brookside landmark since the 1940s. The titles of Mr. and Mrs. Irish have gone to Jim and Karol Dougherty, Brookside residents for the past 18 years.

The parade route runs through the Brookside shopping district along 63rd Street from Wornall to Main. The parade lasts approximately one hour and a half.

For more information or to register your group or organization, call 816-795-6616.

The parade is sponsored by the Brookside Business Association and the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.

Co-Grand Marshals

Ron Klapmeyer is a native Kansas Citian who grew up on a farm in south Kansas City. Learning that he enjoyed working on equipment at a young age, Ron worked weekends at a Mobile station pumping gas. After finishing aircraft mechanical school, Ron bought and operated a Mobile brake service until 1978 when he purchased the Phillips 66 station at Gregory and Wornall, followed by the Brookside Phillips 66 station in 1989. The Brookside location has been in operation since the 1940s. Ron and his wife Sandy have 2 children. Their daughter, Renee, is in The Producers on Broadway as well as the movie version. Their son, Ryan, is very active in the business.

Keith Croll is originally from Neodesha, Kansas. His working career with the Phillips Corporation led him to Tulsa, Wichita and finally to Kansas City. He didn't want to continue moving from city to city, so he began working at local Kansas City Phillips 66 stations. He has been with the Brookside 66 for over 30 years and is an institution in the Brookside area. Keith and his wife Fran have four children and ten grandchildren. In his spare time, Keith enjoys hunting, fishing and visiting his daughter's farm near Boliver. He is a huge car racing fan, and makes time to see all the local auto races as well as visiting racetracks in other cities.

Mr. and Mrs. Irish (Jim & Karol Dougherty):

Jim Dougherty is the Executive Director of the DeLaSalle Education Center, a comprehensive, private alternative school system that provides an education for youth who have been unsuccessful in traditional schools. He has worked at the DeLaSalle Education Center for 25 years. In 1989, DeLaSalle was awarded a grant through the US Department of Education to spread the DeLaSalle Education Model to over 70 programs nationwide. DeLaSalle has also started many alternative schools in the Kansas City area, including Alta Vista, Seton Center and Don Bosco.

Karol Dougherty has worked at the Kansas City Public Library for thirteen years. She currently serves at the Waldo Branch.

The Doughertys have four children. The family is committed to their faith, family and community and has worshipped at several of the Brookside area schools. Their children were educated at area schools associated with the parishes.