Haverhill Exchange Club Plans 21st Annual Rick Barry St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast

The wearing of the green and all things Irish will be on display when the Haverhill Exchange Club holds its 21st Annual Rick Barry St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast.Exchangites Ron Carpenito and Kerrianne Petalidas discussed the upcoming fun for a good cause during a live appearance last week on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program. Carpenito says a lot of work goes into the event.“Probably the biggest highlight of this event is the continuing saga of St. Patrick’s and this special super-secret video that we make every year that really incorporates a lot of Haverhill’s own favorite faces and newcomers. Things like that, to kind of like laugh at ourselves and have a little bit of fun.”  Petalidas says event’s anniversary is influencing prizes.“We actually have some great raffles which you’ll usually find the theme of the day, of course on this particular one where it’s our 21st, is birthday themes. You know, it’s well known in the community, but if you have not been, I encourage you to attend this year’s.”Despite the amusing elements, Petalidas says the event has a very serious purpose.“So this particular one, a lot of the funds raised at this program, it’s one of our largest fundraisers, a lot of that goes to our local child abuse prevention center. So, we do fund that with proceeds from this, but we do have several other events throughout the city that we put on for the greater good of the community. We focus on Americanism, our veterans and we do a lot with child events and child abuse prevention.”Proceeds benefit the Michael B. Christensen Community and Family Support Center, part of Greater Lawrence Community Action Council. Christensen was a member of the Haverhill Exchange Club, who passed away in 2001.The 21st Annual Rick Barry St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast takes place Friday March 17, at Haverhill Country Club, 58 Brickett Lane, Haverhill. Doors open at 7 a.m. with the program starting at 7:45 a.m. There’s more online at HaverhillExchangeClub.com.Support the show