Recap: Parkway People Hall of Fame Fundraiser

Editor's note: The following article was submitted by Parkway People.

This past weekend West Roxbury and Roslindale showed their support by attending the first-ever, annual Parkway People Hall of Fame Banquet & Scholarship Fundraiser. Several thousand dollars was raised through ticket sales, sponsorships and raffles.

The event drew in approximately 450 people of the Parkway, young and on Saturday night to the Irish Social Club of Boston in West Roxbury.

We were not expecting the incredible success and turnout that we had, especially on an evening when the Bruins were in the playoffs. We did, address the potential issue by obtaining a 50” flat screen TV to broadcast the game, and selling raffle tickets to give away the very same TV at the end of the evening. None other than West Roxbury’s own Lord Mayor Richie Gormley’s name was drawn for the TV approximately five minutes after he left for the evening. We suspect that he will use his winning prize for yet another good deed. Stay tuned...

Speaking of the Lord Mayor, our very first inductee of all-time paused, and then before accepting his award, directed all to face the American flag, and confidently led the room into reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Click here for a full list of Parkway People Hall of Fame inductees and descriptions of them.

Reverend Monsignor William M. Helmick, followed Mr. Gormley and was no less impressive, and said a short prayer with the group upon accepting his award. It seems these two men knew just what was missing from the ceremony’s opening.

“We could have given out 100 awards today,” said the locally famous Chucky Bruen as he spoke to a patient and engaged crowd, who cheered and clapped as each of the awards were distributed (31 named individuals), and “thank you's” were delivered, despite that the Bruins game was to begin momentarily.

State Rep. Ed Coppinger, D-West Roxbury, and state Senator Mike Rush, D-Norfolk/Suffolk, both in attendance, surprised even Parkway People, when they delivered directly from the State House a stack of signed and sealed, official citations for “outstanding service or deed” for each of the individuals named to the Hall of Fame, as well as one for Parkway People, which can be viewed on permanent display at the Irish Social Club.

Familiar faces were aplenty on this fun-filled, laid-back evening as variety of music played by local favorite band, The Fenian Sons, and DJ George drew people to the dance floor.

Sunday morning, the board members of Parkway People, still grinning ear-to-ear over the incredibly humbling success of the prior evening’s success, showed at Fallon Field’s street hockey rink with kids in tow for the inaugural opening day of new youth league Coppinger Court Hockey (Parkway People sponsors the Victoria Tigers).

It is true of “the Parkway” - the neighborhood for which the group is named, that so many of the attendees call or have called home, that the people and businesses here are generous and committed to family, friendship, and selfless community service. It was not an easy decision – there were so many wonderful people to choose from in this great community. We are genuinely looking forward to honoring the next group of deserving citizens in 2014.

A big thank you to District E-5 BPD Captain Hasson visiting to say a few hellos, wish us well and ensure smooth operations. He didn't stay long or speak to the crowd, but his support was and is integral, he was there for us early on when we first began the group over a year ago.

All information regarding our mission, our current sponsors, new sponsor form, scholarship application and Havey Beach petition is available at the printable version of our program book here, designed by Parkway Art and distributed to guests during the evening. Additional copies are available for free by contacting info@parkwaypeople.org.

Please like Parkway People us on Facebook, too!  

Here is our full list of sponsors for the evening:

Gormley Funeral Home; Deno’s Pizza & Subs; Parkway Art; Amir’s Natural Foods; Leader Bank - Ed Coppinger; West Roxbury Motors; Dr. Joseph Guarino, DMD; Irish Social Club of Boston; Corrib Pub; Burns & Levinson, LLP; Kelleher’s Bar & Grille; Ace Glass; Images Hair Studio; Louis L. Murray - New York Life; Barry & Karen Hickman; The Bren Family; Real Deal Deli; Waves Car Wash; John Connolly for Mayor; Ed Coppinger State Representative; Matt O’Malley, District 6 Representative; Martin Keough, Candidate for City Councillor; state Senator Mike Rush.