WILLISTON, Vt. (WCAX) – S.D. Ireland employees and their families gaze up at a party of concrete mixers leaving the contractor’s Williston facility. “It was really funny to see different kinds of honking,” Juliet Micheli of Barre laughed.
The 25 trucks, one hot pink, ring in Saint Patrick’s Day and raise money for cancer research. “Every one of those trucks, there’s been money donated to the S.D. Ireland Cancer Research Fund so it’s pretty awesome,” Todd Silloway with S.D. Ireland said.
It all began in 1999. After their own brush with cancer, Scott and Kim Ireland launched the S.D. Ireland Cancer Research Fund. All proceeds from the annual Concrete Mixer Parade, a whopping $12 million to date, go toward cancer research at UVM. S.D. Ireland employees say they’re thrilled to have raised $175,000 this year. “I take a lot of pride in it and all our guys here take a lot of pride in it,” Mike Jewell with S.D. Ireland said.
This year marks the 39th Saint Patrick’s Day parade. It was an intimate celebration at S.D. Ireland headquarters after much preparation. Macey Bouffard of Colchester came out to support her husband, who just started working for the company. “We have a gathering before and then we watch the trucks go off for the parade,” Bouffard said. “We beat the crowd downtown!”
The parade is a yearly tradition for Rachel Semic. “I work for the Properties division so it’s just fun to come out here and see the whole company and everything that goes into the parade,” Semic smiled.
It’s Silloway’s 25th parade. He’s still not tired of it. “The trucks come rolling along and the horns are honking and everyone’s smiling and waving.” Silloway said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Trucks traveled down Burlington’s Church Street and Winooski Circle before returning to Williston.
