Syracuse, N.Y. — If you’ve ever squeezed into Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub on a certain Sunday afternoon in March, when most of the barstools have already been cleared away and the place is shoulder-to-shoulder and ponytail elastics stack up beside buzzing clippers and the stories weigh more than the hair on the floor, you already know why this morning’s announcement hits the way it does.

The 2026 Syracuse St. Patrick’s Parade grand marshals will be the five people who turned a small idea into one of Central New York’s most powerful traditions: Tom Burke, Chow Downey, David & Cindy Hoyne and Sophie Meskos. Together, they led the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser at Kitty Hoynes for 21 years — 20 events, thanks to a pandemic interruption — shaving 7,701 heads and raising $7,391,531 for pediatric cancer

See Full Page