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Ed Said...Slán Anois
2008 Kansas City Irish Fest president Ed Scanlon is preparing for his last festival serving on our board of directors, at least for now. While his term, as well as that of our outgoing treasurer Ronan Collins (more on him later) doesn't end until the last day of the calendar year, Ed wanted to take a moment now, on the eve of his last hurrah for farewells and thank yous."Well here it is. My time has come.
Won't be long, I'll be movin' on
I can't complain, I've had my day.
Now I'll be on my way."
-The Saw Doctors
My term as President and member of the Kansas City Irish Fest board of directors ends January 1. I'm meeting this with very mixed emotions. How will I function without my daily fix of festival issues? How will the festival survive without me? I'm sure life will go on just fine. The festival board has term limitations. It is very important that we continue to bring new energy and ideas to the table, rather than getting stuck in the thought process of "we always do it that way".
It has been a wonderful 10 years helping found the Brookside Irish Festival and assisting in combining Westport and Brookside to create the Kansas City Irish Fest. I can list the pains on one hand and the joys are far too many to begin to list. But the greatest part of being involved with the festival has to be the great friends that have been here since the beginning and the new friends that I've made along the way. All the members of the fest board, staff, committee and volunteers have added nothing but joy to my life.
There have been so many people that I owe a great deal of thanks to for their help over the years. I cannot begin to thank them all but I must thank my family: my son Spike, who takes his mother to lunch during set up and keeps her smiling, my daughter Bridget for understanding that Labor Day weekend was really not a good weekend for her wedding and for volunteering in the first aid area, my daughter Molly-thank you for heading the Irish Fest first-aid area, my son Matt, thank you for lugging ice, pulling beers, and staffing the Heritage Stage, all my grandchildren for participating and loving Irish Fest. Most of all thank you to my wonderful wife Barbara for sharing the passion for Irish Fest. Kansas City Irish Fest will always be indebted to you but most of all, thank you for being my best friend.
I'm not saying good bye, but see you at Irish Fest. Do you think Irish Fest will ever happen and I won't be there morning till night?
Thank you all
Ed Scanlon
2008 Kansas City Irish Fest president Ed Scanlon is preparing for his last festival serving on our board of directors, at least for now. While his term, as well as that of our outgoing treasurer Ronan Collins (more on him later) doesn't end until the last day of the calendar year, Ed wanted to take a moment now, on the eve of his last hurrah for farewells and thank yous.
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15 comments:
"How will the festival survive without me?"
.....
"Perhaps on my departure, they'll rename it 'Ed Fest'"
The Kansas City Irish Fest is a fantastic event because of Ed Follis and Ed Scanlon. It is real easy to sit at your computer and make a "smart" remark. This festival is one of the best in the nation. Do you think an event this large just happens? The board and committee spend countless hours preparing so Kansas City can enjoy a quality Irish Festival. Other Kansas City Festivals have come and gone but this one continues to evolve into a real celebration of Irish music, dance and heritage.
Good luck Ed Follis as you continue next year.....Ed Scanlon you have earned some time off
(and maybe a little respect)! Thank you for all of the time you have spent for the rest of us.
"May those who love us, love us; and those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping.”
Ed- since you'll be free next year, can I put you down for a bar back shift? How's that for proactive recruiting!
Oh, and on your way out, will ya take those damn pickle buckets with you?
Thanks for everything Ed!
~Sarah
On Ed's birthday a couple years ago, I posted this:
Ed was one of the four people present at the birth of the Kansas City Irish Fest in Kyle Kelly's kitchen back in the fall of 2002 and he has been instrumental in the growth and success of KCIF from its beginning, and of the Brookside Irish Fest before that. The list of his contributions to Irish Fest is too long to list here, and the list of his contributions to his friends, family and colleagues is too long to list, period. If generosity, wit, loyalty, love of family and the ability to tell a great story (regardless of its basis in fact) are Irish traits, then Ed Scanlon is the most Irish man I know.
And it's all still true today. Ed's been the face of Irish Fest since we first lit the fuse and we all owe him a tremendous debt. Thanks for everything, Ed. And look at the bright side. No more 7:00 AM board meetings for you.
Let's have a great Irish Fest weekend.
Who were the other 2 people in the kitchen that day (besides Ed S. and Kyle)?
The other two were Ed Follis and myself.
Well, then I'll drink a toast to the four of you this weekend!! Well done!
Kansas City is so lucky to have such a great festival.
Thanks!
You were sure a better Irish Fest president than that LAST guy.
Congrats on a great run Ed!
From,
The only board member who's diaper you have changed :-) (30 years ago!)
Okay, that's ONE visual I'd like to get out of my head.
Me too! I don't want to go through the weekend thinking that every time I look at the two of you!
That really IS amazing that 4 guys sitting around a kitchen table could put in motion a fest that has become so colossal! You have done an outstanding job!! How proud you much feel watching your baby grow.....and finding many other wonderful people to join you.
With many thanks,
Patricia
To be accurate, the decision made that day was to combine the two existing smaller festivals that we'd all been working on for the previous four years. And working all those years with a small army of incredible, hard working, talented people, many of who are still running the Kansas City Irish Fest today. This is a huge team effort.
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