St. Patrick’s Day Stagecoach

Like many of my fellow Irish Americans, I'm gearing up for what I believe to be THE holiday of the year: St. Patrick's Day. That's right! I display the Irish flag  (for the month), take St. Patrick's Day off from work, go to mass, and then enjoy some family fun, including the Minneapolis St. Patrick's Day Parade. I always love it when the stagecoach rolls down the street — it feels good that Wells Fargo recognizes how important this event is to so many in our community.

With that, I'm pleased to introduce Lovester (pronounced: Loh-VES-ter) Law, Manager of the Wells Fargo Stagecoach Appearance Program. He's been managing all of our stagecoach appearances across the country since 2006 — and from time to time he actually gets to be IN the parades! Today, Lovester's going to tell us a little more about the stagecoach and St. Patrick's Day.

Typically, St. Patrick's Day  conjures up many images — mostly green and fun ones. It also reminds me of the great Irish heritage and traditions in towns, communities and cities across the country. From the smallest towns to the largest cities, these parades represent the best of America.

As part of the fun, St. Patrick's Day also brings the Wells Fargo Stagecoach to parades across the country.

For example, this past Saturday, March 14th, marked the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Emmetsburg, Iowa. In past years this has been a great venue for the Wells Fargo Stagecoach. Last year, the town was thrilled to have the stagecoach in their community parade, and we're always thrilled to be a part. With a population of just under 4,000 on 4 square miles and 16% with Irish ancestry, Emmetsburg truly reflects a slice of Americana.

On March 8, the Wells Fargo Stagecoach rolled down the streets of Staten Island for their St. Patrick's Day Parade. Jay Sullivan, Branch Sales Manager for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage there, put it perfectly by saying, "Ubiquity is the name of the game, and the stagecoach does it best."

As the coach approaches along the parade route you can hear a symphony of incredible sounds: the horses' hooves click-clacking on the pavement, the steady hum of the wheels turning, not to mention the bagpipe tunes playing and crowds of people cheering and welcoming the stagecoach. Mothers and fathers lean over and say to their kids, "Look! There goes the Wells Fargo Stagecoach!" And their children wave and shout out, "Hi, Wells Fargo!"

As Molly mentioned, I've also been lucky enough to be on the stagecoach. Riding shotgun up there you see so many painted green faces, green costumes, and green bracelets —such a varied cast of characters, all united by the enduring spirit of the Irish. And many of them are seeing our stagecoach for the first time! As you ride by, you can hear people shout, "There goes the Wells Fargo Stagecoach!" or "That's my Bank!" It's very special.

After the parade, people gather to watch the horses and stagecoach being loaded in the big red, white, yellow and black Wells Fargo truck. Usually they've got a lot of questions for the stagecoach driver like: "What kind of horses are they?", "Where are you going next?", "Where else can I see the Wells Fargo Stagecoach?" and "What's your favorite parade?"

I know the answer to that last question...YOURS!

Community parades are just a thrill. There are so many people in the streets, sitting in chairs and on sidewalks — everyone's having fun celebrating St. Patrick's Day  and celebrating their community. What a wonderful privilege to be a part of it all! Wells Fargo is proud of our longstanding history of helping customers and communities succeed. The stagecoach is a symbol of that commitment. (It's pretty neat up close and personal too!)

I think I'll end my post with some good old Irish wit. Is there a better way?

Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left? Answer: five. Because there's a difference between deciding & doing.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everybody!