ANCHOR INTRO: The month of March is known for its madness with the NCAA Basketball Tournament, but it’s also known for St. Patrick’s Day. The first celebration of St. Patrick’s Day took place in Boston of 1737. People wear green, drink beer and have a good time enjoy the celebration on March 17. Green beer is consumed on St. Patrick’s Day.The celebration continues here in one local restaurant in Downtown Kent.  Reporter Thea Emroll takes us to one place for a reason to celebrate and the beer consumption that occurs on St. Patrick’s Day.

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NAT sound: restaurant in full swing.

Reporter VO: Glasses sitting on the shelves, stickers sticking to the windows and festive decorations hanging from the ceiling are just some of the things you’ll see when you walk into Ray’s Place on St. Patrick’s Day. Customers at Ray’s are no strangers to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. For 36 years the restaurant has participated in St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Last year Ray’s had more than 1,000 costumers. Owner and Manager of Ray’s Charlie Thomas says the atmosphere on St. Patrick’s Day is enjoyable.

SOT: “It’s a very joyful place, um fun, everybody’s having a good time. Nobody’s in a big hurry for their food and drink uh, it’s just a good time.”

STANDUP: I’m here in Downtown Kent right across the street from Ray’s where every St. Patrick’s Day they serve a special beverage of choice.

NAT: green beer

Reporter VO: Green beer. Thomas pours green dye into this glass of beer to make the special drink. Behind the bar beverages like Budweiser, Bud Light and Miller Lite are used to make the green beer. According to Wallet Hub, 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed this year on St. Patrick’s Day worldwide. But how much beer is too much? One 12-ounce can of Bud Light contains more than 110 calories. If you drink a 24 pack of Bud Light beer or large amounts of other alcoholic beverages on St. Patrick’s Day those calories add up and cause serious damage to your body. Nutrition professor Jamie Matthews says it’s important to know what can damage the liver.

SOT: “It will never happen to me. It will never be me. I’m in control. I don’t drink that much and it’s just not true. It will happen to you. Livers do fail.”

Reporter VO: Matthews gives advice about drinking on St. Patrick’s Day.

SOT: “Have a plan about how much you would like to drink for the evening and um never have more than like one drink in a row.”

Reporter close: With that in mind, drink responsibly and have a happy St. Patrick’s Day. For TV2 KSU, I’m Thea Emroll.