DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Thousands of people are expected to bring the luck of the Irish to Delray Beach this weekend.
The annual Delray Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival will take place Saturday.
But with fears over the coronavirus growing, organizers said they're taking extra precautions to limit the spread of germs.
"People are kind of apprehensive about shaking hands, and we get that," said Steven Spitz with the Badass Running Company, which is behind the Delray Beach St. Patrick's Day 5K and 10K runs on Saturday.
Spitz said race organizers are getting creative when it comes to limiting contact among runners.
"People are suggesting bumping arms. We figured we'd go with something called the 'Badass Bump,'" said Spitz.
The Badass Bump involves locking your hands in front of your body and then bumping butts with anyone you meet and befriend at the race.
LEARN THE BADASS BUMP:
"We're not gonna spread germs when we Bad Ass Bump," said Spitz, who added that more than 300 people are registered to run in the Delray Beach St. Patrick's Day races.
Managers at The Real Poké restaurant on Atlantic Avenue said they're excited for the parade and plan to have more hand sanitizer available for customers.
"This is one of the most important events on the ave," said Giovanni Taveres, the owner of the restaurant. "We are taking additional precaution to have extra hand sanitizer, wiping down chairs and tables."
The Delray Beach St. Patrick's Day Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Old School Square, located at 51 N. Swinton Avenue. The parade will be held from 2 p.m to 4 p.m. along Atlantic Avenue from the intracoastal bridge to Northwest/Southwest Fifth Avenue.
For more information about the festival and parade, click here.
For more information about the 5K and 10K races, click here.
