LYNN — The Friendly Knights of St. Patrick hosted its 75th annual scholarship dinner at the Hibernian Hall Thursday night, after the event was postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 250 people made their way there to eat the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, listen to pipes and drums played by the Irish American Police Officers Association, and raise money for scholarships for soon-to-be graduates from Lynn high schools.
Last year the Friendly Knights raised more than $30,000 in scholarships, and this year Chairman William McDonald said they are expecting to raise more than $50,000.
“It’ll be a record,” McDonald said. “I can’t believe it.”
In addition to the 75th annual dinner, the Friendly Knights of St. Patrick also celebrated the life of one of its founders, Jack Barry, who died last year. Thursday night’s dinner was dedicated to Barry, who McDonald said was one of the funniest Irishmen he had ever met.
“I remember walking into my first meeting 25 years ago and Jack had the best one-liners… he was quick and witty,” McDonald said. “Jack said to me at that first meeting, ‘We don’t get up there and talk about the potato famine, we don’t get up there and sing Lady of Knock, we get up there and we have a good time,’ and that’s my intention with these dinners.”
The Friendly Knights also dedicated a new scholarship in honor of Barry, which it is only giving out this year.
Barry has two sons with disabilities, so the Friendly Knights are paying for the last two years of a four-year undergraduate program for two local students who are pursuing a degree in education, preferably special education.
“In most cases, the scholarships are more for a laptop or incidental expenses, whereas with the Jack Barry Memorial Scholarship, we’re really looking to pick up two years of the tuition bills,” McDonald said.
The other scholarship was awarded to the Lynn Tech Alumni Association, in honor of the association’s chair, Ward 2 Councilor Rick Starbard, who is retiring this year.
Starbard has donated to the Friendly Knights in the past, so when the Friendly Knights learned about how the Lynn Tech Alumni Association buys tools and equipment for graduates working in a trade who can’t afford them, it decided to give them $2,000 toward this.
“The trades are a dire need in this country,” McDonald said.
Awards were also given out during the annual scholarship dinner, with the biggest award being ‘Irishman of the year.’
This year, the award went to Stephen Spencer, who McDonald said does a lot of work behind the scenes to increase the scholarship fund.
The Randazzo-Solimine Community Service Award was also given out, and Mark Paradis received it. Paradis grew up next to Lynn Woods and was a volunteer with the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, and has also been a team manager for the Lynn English football team for years.
“Mark was born with a disability and was given a life expectancy of 20 years, and he is now in his sixties,” McDonald said. “He’s done a lot for the community… Marky was always a part of the parks, the football teams, and he was just that guy that was always there.”
For those interested in applying to the Friendly Knights of St. Patrick scholarships, applications can be found in the guidance departments in the high schools.
