The Wallkill St. Patrick’s Parade Committee, for the first time in its 37 years of organizing the Town of Shawangunk’s annual parade, chose two residents to represent this year’s grand marshals: Heather Riley and Wendy Cavanaugh. These two women are deeply rooted in their community and have worked together on various outreach projects for years, serving as shining individuals dedicated to supporting their town.

Riley, a 38-year resident, was originally from Long Island before she moved to Shawangunk in 1986. Throughout her time here, she worked at the Wallkill Nursery from 1987 to 1995 and served as a Girl and Cub Scout leader, a member of the Wallkill Central School District PTO, and a member of the Ulster County Community Service Board. In 1994, Riley became Shawangunk’s deputy clerk and served the town’s government for 30 years, including 15 as the former court clerk. She and her husband’s family comprises two children and five grandchildren.

“I’ve met so many people in the community and it’s just really rewarding to help the people that live here in all different capacities between the court position and the town clerk’s office,” Riley said regarding her government work.

Cavanaugh, a 28-year resident who moved to Shawangunk in 1996, served in the US Air Force between 1983 and 2005 at the Stewart Air National Guard Base. She is a member of the Wallkill Reformed Church, a member of the Rose-Sheeley American Legion Post, and was involved in Hometown Heroes, a program that adorned the Wallkill hamlet with banners of local veterans. She and her husband’s family include six children and seven grandchildren.

“It’s a good community, everyone likes to be involved,” Cavanaugh said regarding her time in the town. “They’ve given us a lot of support with the thrift shop and the meals program for the kids.”

Riley and Cavanaugh would meet in 2008 while volunteering at the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, an outreach ministry of the Wallkill Reformed Church. The two formed a close friendship and went on to support the community as a team.

“We just ended up getting really close and have been ever since,” Cavanaugh said.

“We became really good friends, been through a lot together, and done a lot together for the community,” Riley said.

In 2011, Riley and Cavanaugh began operating the Golden Rule Thrift Shop, another department of the church currently located on 5 Wallkill Avenue. The two have collected and exchanged clothing, shoes, accessories, and toys with clientele from and outside the community for over 12 years.
“Heather and I were working at the food pantry, but they had so much help there, so we decided we would take on the job and start the thrift shop,” Cavanaugh said. “It’s really nice and the community is really happy with it.”

The two are coordinators of Weekend Meal Bags for Students, previously known as the Snackin Kidz Club, a church program inspired by late resident Stewart Crowell. Since 2012, Riley and Cavanaugh have bought and prepared weekly meals to students with food insecurity in the Wallkill Central School District, providing much-needed hunger relief over the weekend. The two also volunteer for the school district’s Be-YOU-tiful Field Day, an annual event that provides a wealth of sport activities to students with disabilities.

“It was a lifelong dream of Stewart Crowell, who’s deceased. He was a very active member in the community,” Riley said. “He was a teacher in the Newburgh school district and it just really upset him to know how many kids were hungry.”

“Through the church ministry, we were able to get it going. We do all the shopping, planning, and organizing with what food they get,” Riley continued. “We don’t specifically know the kids’ names; the school provides one of the church liasions with that. We give them the number that they need to fulfill the students each week.”

Both women were completely surprised that they were chosen as this year’s grand marshals and thanked the community for the recognition. The two love what they do and will continue helping residents however they can.

“It was a total surprise, we had no idea. It was very nice,” Cavanaugh said.

“It was very thoughtful of them to think of us in that way because we never thought of it like that. We do this because we enjoy it,” Riley said. “We love hanging out together, we love taking care of the community. We just enjoy what we’re doing, we don’t expect anything. So we’re quite honored.”

The Wallkill St. Patrick’s Parade will take place on Sunday, March 17 at 1490 Route 208 in the Wallkill hamlet; the lineup will begin at 1 p.m. and the parade will kick off at 2 p.m.