East Orange Mayor Ted Green and his wife, June, center right, stand with members of their family and the Young Professionals of East Orange group on Saturday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, during his first Black Tie Gala at the Parsippany Hilton Hotel.
PARSIPPANY, NJ — East Orange Mayor Ted Green hosted his first Black Tie Gala at the Hilton Parsippany Hotel on St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17, and even though he’s not Irish, he said the timing had more to do with serendipity and the old luck of the Irish than anything else.
“We know folks celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but the day is really symbolic to me, because last year this time, 2017 was our motto during the campaign, so I wanted to have something on the 17 and, fortunately, St. Patrick’s Day fell on the 17th,” said Green on Saturday, March 17. “Tonight’s gala was an outstanding affair. We had a great time. We hope everybody had a great time at our first gala and we had so many people come out.”
He also thanked the more than 1,000 “residents, elected officials, stakeholders, friends, family, supporters and constituents that came out,” saying, “Today was a great day and we are very thankful for everything that went the way it went. We’re a little tired, but when you love your city, and we love the people of the city of East Orange, it’s worth it.
“The motto during the campaign was ‘Team Green in 2017’ and now it’s ‘Go Green.’ We’re one city, one community and we have one goal and that equals progress.”
Green’s wife, June, echoed her husband’s sentiments, and acknowledged the connection between a mayor named Green having his first Black Tie Gala event on St. Patrick’s Day.
“It was the luck of the Irish,” she said Saturday, March 17. “I’m just excited that everything turned out wonderful. I’m glad that everybody had a wonderful time. I’m just excited.”
The mayor’s relatives, Ted Green Sr., Javon Lee Clayton and Sheneer Clayton, were all in attendance at the event. They agreed that fate, divine guidance and inspiration played a role in the mayor’s rise in East Orange.
“There was no leprechauns,” the senior Green said. “No green shillelaghs or none of that.”
According to Javon Lee Clayton, “one thing about Ted is he thinks of opportunities in time, so the 17th of this month was just perfect,” he said.
Tickets for the event were $300 each and 1,000 people attended the event, including Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss.
“It was a great party and a great event,” said Vauss, who is known for throwing good parties including his annual Mayor’s Ball, at the event. “He’s a great guy and everybody is proud of him and glad and proud that he’s the mayor of the great city of East Orange, so fortune favors great people like him. I had a great time at his gala and I’m looking forward to attending many, many more of them in the future.”
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