Men in uniform a hit with longtime Bayport-Blue Point St. Patrick's parade fan
Sayville resident Anne Dunphy, 76, a 1956 graduate of Bayport High School, says she never misses the annual Bayport-Blue Point St. Patrick's Day parade, held this year on Sunday, March 16, 2014. Credit: Tara Conry
Sporting a curly green wig and green aviators, Anne Dunphy, 76, stood on Montauk Highway Sunday afternoon watching the Bayport-Blue Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade pass by. It was the parade’s 24th year, and Dunphy, a Sayville resident and 1956 Bayport High School graduate, said she never misses it.
What’s her favorite part?
“I like the men,” she said.
While the two-hour parade featured a variety of floats, bagpipers, step dancers, scouts and classic cars, Dunphy said she looks forward to seeing the men in uniform, specifically the Korean War veterans and the local volunteer firefighters, march by.
“I have such respect, such honor for them,” she said.
Dunphy also said the parade is a chance to see all her family and friends, adding, “There’s a lot of love, a lot of giving.”
For instance, Blue, a restaurant in Blue Point, was giving away free corned beef and cabbage to revelers throughout the afternoon. Restaurant owner George Stathopoulos said his establishment handed out about 1,500 pounds of food on Sunday.
The restaurant has been giving away the Irish delicacy on the day of the parade for the past eight years as a way to thank its loyal customers.
“We have good people here,” Stathopoulos said.
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