DES MOINES, Iowa — The 2021 Des Moines St. Patrick's Day Parade has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the second year in a row, organizers announced Wednesday.
The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Central Iowa posted the news to Facebook, saying they are "extremely saddened to announce they have made the difficult decision" to cancel the event.
"Due to the current public health situation, the members of the organization could not in good conscience host their annual event, which could put this beloved community at greater risk and potentially advance the spread of COVID," the post says.
"It has always been the Friendly Sons’ mission to support local groups in need both with their time and through fundraising efforts, with St. Patrick’s Day being the largest fundraising day of the year," the post continues. "Not holding the celebration and parade for the second year in a row is difficult on many levels, but especially because it further reduces their ability to give back to the community."
The organization is asking the public to help continue their tradition by supporting a local group in need or by donating to local food pantries.
"The members of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick are grateful for your support and understanding, and look forward to hosting their parade and celebrating again next year. In the meantime, have a happy St. Patrick’s Day, and may the luck of the Irish be with you in 2021!"
At this time last year, the Friendly Sons were still planning to hold the parade.
The group ended up canceling the 2020 parade "based upon the facts of the situation from City and State Officials."