For more than a quarter-century, the West Suburban Irish (WSI) have brought joy to thousands of people in the western suburbs of Chicago through parades, charitable giving, cultural events, and more. The nonprofit is proud to be headquartered in Naperville, Illinois. WSI promotes, nurtures, and strengthens Irish culture in our area through a strong social network of members, volunteers, artists, and enthusiasts.
The motto of the West Suburban Irish is “Friendship, Fun, Service.” It reflects both the Irish culture and their approach to fulfilling their mission. They strive to cultivate a true appreciation and understanding of Irish heritage, including the arts, language, and sports, by putting on events in their local communities.
The club’s treasurer, Colleen Wronski, said “We as a club like to give back and we’d like to give back in the community. So we do a lot of that. We have a scholarship that we give out to kids in high school who are going on to college. We have them write essays and we have a team of people that read the essays and we award five scholarships every year worth $5,000.”
West Suburban Irish prepare to host Naperville’s 2023 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The West Suburban Irish are gearing up to host their annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade will return on Saturday, March 11, 2023, to downtown Naperville. The parade will kick off at the corner of Mill St. and Ogden Ave., proceed south on Mill St. to Jefferson St., cross over to Main St., and finally end at Water St.
Naperville’s signature springtime event celebrates Irish heritage and culture and attracts over 3,000 participants and 15,000 spectators annually.
Watch the St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2022.
Do you need to be Irish to join WSI?
The group welcomes everyone to join them. WSI president Matthew Jones said, “We are happy to have anyone who is willing to be a part of the organization to help out with events. Just want to learn in general about Irish culture and traditions. I mean, I married into Irish, so if that tells you anything.”
They encourage all to check out their website for more information on their Quiz Nights, Irish Sessions, Irish Fest, and many other events and activities that they host throughout the year.
Spotlight welcomes West Suburban Irish guests
Matthew Jones, President
Colleen Wronski, Treasurer