Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Committee honors adjutant staff at annual banquet

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Committee held a banquet Friday honoring the adjutant staff responsible for organizing and running the city’s annual parade.

This year’s adjutant, Randall Fleenor, said the event was an opportunity to recognize the volunteers who make March 17 possible.

“They give up their time, their family, their day to do that, we’d like to acknowledge them as much as we can throughout the year,” Fleenor said.

Attendees of Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade may recognize the adjutant staff as the men in white blazers who line the parade route. The volunteers are responsible for organizing and monitoring the parade, as well as events leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.

General Chairman Patrick Beytagh said the staff’s work is essential to the event.

“It is an unbelievable coordinated effort, it’s really sort of practical magic,” Beytagh said. “They are the absolute backbone of the Saint Patrick’s Day Committee.”

The banquet included a pinning ceremony in which adjutant staff members received pins representing milestones of service ranging from five to fifty years.

Beytagh took a moment to honor the members of the Saint Patrick’s Day Committee. He gave special praise to the Committee’s office manager Angela Coleman. He described Coleman as the heart and soul of the committee, and credited her with keeping the staff organized and on track.

Former adjutant and current staff member Mark Corrigan said the occasion carries deep meaning for those involved.

“This is the time of the year that Savannah shines, and it should,” Corrigan said. “It doesn’t just get under your skin it gets into your blood.”

Beytagh encouraged parade-goers to acknowledge the volunteers on March 17.

“A simple thank you means the world to us,” Beytagh said. “Please if you see someone in a white coat lining the parade route on March 17th, take the time to just say thanks and you will make their day.”

The banquet also honored the spouses of adjutant staff members for their support of the St. Patrick’s Day Committee.