Yet another was the $93 million Railway Credit Union of Mandan, N.D.

“We hold a St. Patrick's Day Lunch for our Senior Club group every year on St. Patrick's Day,” Katie Miller, spokesperson, said. “We have a nice lunch, entertainment, bingo and door prizes. It is a fun event, where everyone can dress up in green and wear fun necklaces, hats, etc.”

The credit union holds four or five events throughout the year for its Senior Club group.

“The St. Patrick's Day lunch is one of the more laid-back events, where people can relax and enjoy food, company and entertainment,” she said.

In early March, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, Prime Partners (those 55 years or older with at least $1,000 in any deposit account at the credit union) of the $2.1 billion First Community Credit Union in Chesterfield, Mo., were picked up in a motorcoach bus at two of the credit union's branches, driven by St. Patrick's Church, given a tour of the Shrine of St. Joseph and treated to lunch at Maggie O'Brien's of corned beef sandwiches, Irish Stew, salad and cookies. Following lunch, participants visited St. John the Apostle and Evangelist church, and then Kerry Cottage, an Irish gift shop. The final stop of the day was Pat Conley's Pub, which featured Irish dancers.

Other credit unions expanded their celebrations into the community as a whole. One of these was the $2.4 billion Idaho Central Credit Union in Chubbuck, Idaho, which sponsored the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, March 12.

The $2.2 billion Spokane Teachers' Credit Union in Liberty Lake, Wash., has a similar tradition, feting a local school principal each year in the town's St. Patrick's Day parade.

“Celebration, education and people are three of STCU's core values,” Kristen Piscopo, community relations officer, said.

STCU has been part of the annual Principals on Parade program since 2011.

“The Principal on Parade idea came about as a way to honor and celebrate local principals by having students nominate in their own words how their principal has impacted their lives,” Piscopo said. ”STCU partners with the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, a local nonprofit for the annual celebration, for the event.”

The winning principal and nominating student are invited to a dignitary lunch hosted by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Then, the principal and nominating student, as well as their family members, ride in a horse-drawn carriage in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

“It's a day of celebration and an opportunity to recognize an outstanding educator,” she said. The partnership with the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, according to Piscopo, is a perfect way to combine the celebration of St. Patrick's Day with STCU's educational roots in the community.

“Recognizing the good work of students, teachers, principals and schools is something STCU is committed to year round,” she said. “The opportunity to recognize great work and have them ride in the STCU Carriage in the parade is an added bonus.”

This year, the winning submission came from a fourth grader at Woodridge Elementary School, a public elementary school located in north Spokane. STCU and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick surprised the principal, Paul Gannon, in front of an all-school assembly in early March. This year, the parade was held Saturday, March 12.