Green for a day

It was the best treatment that the family name has received. Mike gathered family and friends and family of friends to march in yesterday's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Worcester. The float was a trailer carrying a replica of a housefront. Mike's box truck pulled the trailer. Atop the truck was Nate Schroeder, fresh from his heavyweight boxing championship at Notre Dame. The participants wore green t-shirts provided by Mike and his crew. During the parade, the crew handed out balloons to children of all ages.

When Sandra and I arrived, Marian was sitting on a couch with little Cassie asleep in her arms. In front of the truck and in back of the float, various youngsters carried banners of greeting from the Hakkarainen family. At several points, the gang started a chant - "Hakk a rai nen" - particularly when the announcer at the reviewing stand mangled the name. The weather was cool, occasionally showery, but all had a great time.