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Asbury Park’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee named Rev. Robert Kaeding, or Father Bob, founder of The Center in Asbury Park, as the Grand Marshall of the first St. Patrick’s Day parade to take place in the city on Sunday, March 9, 2014.

“I’m honored to be able to be a part of it, certainly,” said Kaeding [shown above, seated at left]. “I have my Irish heritage and I’m delighted.”

“I don’t think the committee could have picked a better person,” said Garrett Giberson, who heads up the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee. Father Bob has played a significant role in Asbury Park and not just in Asbury Park but in the surrounding community.”

“Father Bob, we thought, really, exemplified unity here in Asbury Park,” said Jackie Pappas, executive director of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce. “He’s a well-known figure, is very much loved and obviously there’s the Irish connection,” she said.

Father Bob’s selection by the committee was a unanimous decision, according to Giberson.

The Center also registered the first float in the parade, before Father Bob was selected as the Grand Marshall, Pappas said.

Other floats to look out for include The Collective Art Tank of Asbury Park’s “floating mural,”  where local artist Jay Mack will create a mural on the float as it travels along the parade route down Ocean and Cookman avenues, and New Jersey 101.5 and the 94.3 The Point radio station’s “leprechaun float,” Pappas said.

Second Life Bikes also has a float registeres to help build awareness for their campaign to purchase the store’s location in Asbury Park on Main Street, and there will also be a “zombie” float, according to Pappas.

“What would an Asbury Park parade be without zombies?” she said. “It’s really coming together, people are really putting their creative thinking caps on.”

Parade onlookers can expect to see seven total floats, five marching bands, two fire companies with multiple fire trucks and about 15 classic cars, she said. Animal rescue groups will also have a presence.

“It’s going to be a well attended parade,” said Pappas.

A grandstand will be set up along the parade route in Press Plaza, where there will be a traditional reviewing stand and a panel of judges, Pappas said. The committee has yet to name the judges.

“I think it’s going pretty well at this point,” said Giberson. “We can use the help of the community as far as contributing donations – it is an expensive venture and nothing is free these days.”

The contributions will help pay for police and other services, parade acts and printing services, he said.

“It is the first ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Asbury Park so it will be a historic event,” he said.

Giberson, who is also the city’s Fire Marshall, is comfortable with saying this will be the city’s inaugural St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Giberson family has lived here since before Since before World War II and his father is an heir to the Bradley Estate, he said. James A. Bradley was the founder of Asbury Park.

“It’s going to be a great event and it’s going to bring commerce … and visitors to our city that have not been here before,” he said.

“We think it’s going to be something very Asbury Park,” said Pappas.

The Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee will host a Grand Marshall dinner to honor Father Bob on Feb. 19 at Jimmy’s Restaurant. Tickets are $50 each. All of the proceeds of the event support the parade.

For more information, visit the Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade website.

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