Greetings from General Chairwoman
It’s my great privilege to be the newly elected General Chairwoman of the Norwegian American 17th of May Committee of Greater New York. I have hit the ground running and I am really excited by the enthusiasm of the Committee, the Norwegian community, and the Bay Ridge community at large!
We have a wonderful committee who work all year long preparing for parade day. Thank you to my Co Chairs, Ken Johnson, Shirley Olsen and Victoria Hofmo, and special thanks to my right hand, Barbara Bernsten for all their hard work this year! We lost two longstanding committee members over the past winter, Alf Kris Rasmussen and former General Chair, Sandy Ginsberg, farewell and rest in peace!
We are very excited about our parade theme this year is, which is “Honoring our Veterans”, and we will be marching on Sunday, May 20th, marching to honor our men and women in uniform, past, present and future. We welcome as the 2018 parade Grand Marshals, for the United States, Col. Peter A. Sicoli, and for Norway, Lt. Col. Cecilie Konradsen.
Please remember that the flag of Norway and the flag of the United States of America do not fly because the wind moves it, they fly with the last breath of each soldier who dies protecting it!
Gratulerer med Dagen!
Arlene Bakke Rutuelo General Chairwoman
2018 Lineup
Group I – Honor Contingent: line-up on 3rd Avenue 83to 844h Street
N.Y.C.P.D. Mounted Police
New York Army National Guard - Color Guard
N.Y.P.D. Honor Guard
N.Y.C.P Police Guard
N.Y.P.D. Viking Assn.
N.Y.F.D. Viking Assn.
*Transit Pride Pipes & Drums
17th of May Parade Committee
Grand Marshal (s)
Honorary Marshals
- Church , Civic and Sons of Norway
Group II: Church Group line-up on 85th St. between 3rd Ave. & Ridge Blvd.
Zion Lutheran Church - Staten Island
*Marienlyst School Marching Band
The Norwegian Seamen’s Church
Leif Ericson Day School
59th Street Lutheran Brethren Church
Bethlehem Lutheran Church and Bay Ridge
Center for Older Adults
Lutheran Elementary School
Our Savior's Lutheran Church
Norwegian Christian Home & Health Center
Group III: Civic Group Line-up on 85th Street between 3rd and 4th avenues
Scandinavian East Coast Museum -
Norwegian War Sailors Krigsseilere
United Military Veterans of Kings County
Miss Norway of Greater New York -
Liv Gerda Halvorsen
Miss Heritage: Eva Sibinga
Parade of Children
Norwegian Immigration Association [NIA]
Miss Sweden Day
BarnKlubber Elsa Rix #1
Bay Ridge Community Council
Bay Ridge Resource Training Center
Narrows Community Theater
*Celtic Cross Pipes & Drums Corp
Equinor [Statoil USA] - Empire Wind
Home Reporter
Danish Athletic Club
Brooklyn Norwegian's on Facebook:
1st Social Media Group marching
Smorgasbandet
Sporting Club Gjoa
The Guild for Exceptional Children
*NYC Carpenter's Pipe and Drum Band
Carpenters Local Union #157
Antique Automobile Association of Brooklyn
Group IV :Sons of Norway line-up on 84th Street between 3rd & 4th avenues
International Lodge Officers
Third District Lodge Officers
*Clann Eireann Pipe Band
District Three:
Zone 4 (Upstate New York)
Hudson Valley Lodge #432
Troll #476
Zone 3 (New Jersey, Staten Island, Northern Pennsylvania)
Bernt Balchen #566
Fredheim Lodge #242
Nor-Bu #427
Nansen #410
*Ft. Hamilton HS Marching Regiment
Zone 2 (New England)
Norumbega #506
Zone 1 (Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan)
Loyal #252
Henrik Ibsen #393
Færder #109
Brooklyn #243
Norden Lodge #407
Group V: Bands line-up on 84th Street between 3rd Avenue & Ridge Blvd
*Marienlyst School Marching Band
*Celtic Cross Pipes & Drums Corp
*NYC Carpenter's Pipe and Drum Band
*Clann Eireann Pipe Band
*Ft. Hamilton HS Marching Regiment
Ferrantino Fuel
BRAVO – Bay Ridge Ambulance
Volunteer Organization
BANDS
Do you have or know of a band interested in marching in the parade?
Contact Parade Chair- John Hobbesland at hubba63@verizon.net
Happenings
17th of May Fundraiser at the Salty Dog Recap
From the Brooklyn Reporter!!!
Article written by Victoria Merlino
It’s that time of the year.
Around 200 people attended the Norwegian Constitution Day Parade fundraiser held on April 22, at what some think of as the parade “headquarters” — the Salty Dog Bar and Restaurant, 7509 3rd Avenue.
“We do it as a pre-excitement, ‘Let’s get ready for the Norwegians coming down Third Avenue,” Arlene Rutuelo, chair of the Norwegian American 17th of May Parade Committee of Greater New York, said of the fundraiser.
In its 66th year, the parade sees thousands of attendees each year coming out to celebrate their Norwegian heritage or just celebrate the culture. Though many Norwegians have moved out of Bay Ridge and the neighborhood is changing, Rutuelo said, the parade still stands in the community as a yearly landmark event.
“We do it in collaboration with the community,” Rutuelo said of the fundraiser and the parade. She explained that the parade is not Norwegian-exclusive, and welcomes everyone, no matter what culture or religion someone may come from.
Door prizes and a 50/50 kept guests spending as “The Swedish Meatball” Ellen Lindstrom performed accordion music and Scandinavian tunes. While the accordion is “old-fashioned thing,” said Rutuelo, Norwegians and non-Norwegians alike enjoyed the tunes at the fundraiser. Local luminaries such as State Senator Marty Golden were also in attendance.
The theme of this year’s parade is honoring Norwegian veterans, something that Rutuelo says “we should all be doing a better job at.”
The parade will take place on May 20 starting at 1:30 p.m. and, as always, will be rain or shine.
