For the month of March (also known as Irish American Heritage Month) IrishCentral is tapping into the heartbeat of the Irish American community. The Unsung Heroes series features inspiring individuals from across the US who do extraordinary work in their communities and respective fields. From advocates to artists, from local legends to dedicated educators, from a high school baseball team to dynamo nuns in their 80s, these people are making a difference and to them we tip our hats in thanks.
Today’s Unsung Hero is Philadelphia’s Michael Bradley. Bradley is widely known as the Busiest Man in Philadelphia. He’s a proud Irish American, current director of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Philadelphia, and also runs a highly successful commercial flooring business.
According to the source who nominated him, Michael Bradley is a “top guy who is involved in every nook and cranny of the Irish community in Philadelphia. Without him there would simply be no St. Patrick’s Day parade. He’s been raising money for decades for Irish causes in the city and gets on famously with everyone.”
Michael Bradley has passed along his community spirit to his sons, one of whom recently took part in Thon, a huge kids charity event that raised $12 million.
A Penn State alum, Bradley is also heavily involved in the promotion of the Penn State football game in Dublin next fall, which will bring significant tourism and business to Ireland's capitol.
He has been an active member of the Penn State Alumni since he graduated. Among other things Bradley is a member of the Nittany Lions Club, board member of Cardinal O’Hara High School, Springfield, PA, member of the Knights of Columbanus, guest columnist for the Irish Edition Newspaper, and also spends time coaching basketball and soccer. There isn’t much he can’t turn his hand to successfully.
As director of the beloved St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Philadelphia, Bradley plays an integral role in raising sponsorship to ensure the parade continues its long tradition - the first parade in Philadelphia took place in 1771.
Unsung Hero Michael Bradley gets involved and gets things done.
* Originally published in 2014.
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