The Bucks County St. Patrick's Day Parade committee wanted to select somebody special to serve as grand marshal for the event's 25th anniversary, and as far as committee chairperson George Galloway is concerned, that's exactly what they got when they chose Betty Brooks.

"She was actually an easy choice for us," said Galloway. "She is constantly volunteering her time for the community, but it is very under the radar. She has never sought attention for the things she does."

A 33-year resident of the North Park section of Levittown, Brooks is a regular presence at functions held by the St. Joseph the Worker parish, where she is a eucharistic minister.

"Words cannot express how thrilled I am to receive this honor," said Brooks.

Her charitable efforts were detailed at a recent meeting of the Bucks County Commissioners, where commissioner Rob Loughery rattled off some of Brooks' activities, including organizing donations for the church's Giving Tree, which provides presents to needy children, volunteering at craft fairs, bingo nights and other parish functions, plus her family's work to raise money for leukemia research.

"I do these things for the good of my community, and for the greater glory of God," said Brooks.

The annual event kicks of with an opening mass at St. Joseph's the Worker at 8 a.m. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m. and marches down New Falls Road in Levittown.