Buffalo UCCA fund-raiser supports UNIS (04/30/00)

Buffalo UCCA fund-raiser supports UNIS

by Pavlo Bandriwsky

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Ukrainian community turned out to support the benefit banquet sponsored by the Buffalo branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America on April 15 at the Ukrainian Home Dnipro. Seventeen Ukrainian organizations and churches were represented at the fund-raiser for the Washington-based Ukrainian National Information.

Rep. Jack Quinn (R-N.Y.) and journalists Karen Brady and Rich Kellman all were honored with the Taras Shevchenko Freedom Award for service to the Ukrainian community. Congressman Quinn was the first member of the western New York delegation to join the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. Ms. Brady, a senior journalist for the Buffalo News, provided accurate and detailed reporting on the Famine Genocide Remembrance Day and the historic significance of this Ukrainian tragedy. Mr. Kellman, senior correspondent for WGRZ Channel 2, has extensively covered stories important to the Ukrainian American community, including reports from Kyiv and Lviv.

The event helped to strengthen the Ukrainian community ties with these important people and allowed the Ukrainian community to show its appreciation for their contributions.

All in attendance were very impressed with the performances provided by the Mria Choir, violinist Wasyl Popadiuk, vocalist Yaroslaw Kowalchuk and the Ukrainian School of Dance. Michael Sawkiw Jr., director of the UNIS, was the keynote speaker.

The event raised $3,000 from the Buffalo community to provide much-needed support for the UNIS, the Washington office of the UCCA. This amount included a donation of $1,000 from the Ukrainian Home Dnipro Federal Credit Union.

Thanks were offered to all who helped to organize the gala especially to chairpersons Akacia Belmega, Cultural Program Committee, and Yuri Darmohrai, Organizational Committee. Pavlo Bandriwsky, who heads Buffalo's UCCA branch was chairman of the banquet.

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