A benefactor remembers his native village in Ukraine (08/06/00)

A benefactor remembers his native village in Ukraine

PHILADELPHIA - The United Ukrainian American Relief Committee Inc. was recently given opportunity to administer a most generous gift from a Ukrainian American who lived in America over 50 years, yet never forgot his roots and always kept the troubles of his countrymen in mind - especially the fate of the village of his birth, Staryi Dobrotvir.

William (Vasyl) Petrach came from the small village of Staryi Dobrotvir in the Kamianka-Buzka raion of Lviv Oblast. Mr. Petrach left his home town and made his way to America, where, with his wife, he amassed a sizeable fortune. In the 1990s, after the death of his wife, Mr. Petrach made a pilgrimage to his ancestral home, visiting the town of Staryi Dobrotvir, as well as other villages in the area.

Upon his return Mr. Petrach made provisions in his will to leave approximately $2 million for charitable work to be done in Ukraine and for the good of Ukrainian people, appointing a long-time family friend, Virginia James, as trustee of the estate. In 1998, in an unfortunate and tragic accident, Mr. Petrach lost his life, and Mrs. James began to interview benevolent and charitable organizations working towards the improvement of life in Ukraine in order to fulfill Mr. Petrach's last will and testament.

The UUARC Inc. was invited to submit a proposal, along with other Ukrainian organizations, among them the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, and Mrs. James divided the estate among these groups.

The UUARC's grant, compiled with the help of Andrij Dyda of the UUARC's Lviv office, covers extensive repairs, both structural and general, to one hospital and 11 schools/internaty for the handicapped and the orphaned. Repairs include roof replacements, heating system overhauls, installation of indoor plumbing updating of kitchens, renovation of buildings in disrepair, replacement of windows, etc. The schools will also be receiving new desks, computers, shower facilities and beds, as needed. The hospital has even received a new ambulance. The total budget for this project is $20,700.

The work began in December 1999 and is supervised via frequent site visits by Mr. Dyda. As each project reaches completion, a plaque will be posted in grateful memory of Mr. Petrach.

Impressive though this bequest was, the UUARC receives pleading letters daily from teachers, administrators or visitors, regarding group schools throughout Ukraine that lack the most rudimentary necessities for life - much less for learning. The future of Ukraine is closely tied to the futures of these children who need to be helped.

We are often reminded that a will is a very important document, regardless of a person's age, since one never knows what will be. This is particularly impressed upon us when we hear of someone who planned the future of his/her estate so well, and whose good works will be remembered by handicapped children and orphans who no longer have a leaky roof, or drafty windows, or can learn a skill on the computer.

The UUARC Inc. would like to help implement readers' final wishes, should they be inclined towards humanitarian aid for Ukrainians. We have experience in restricted donations, endowment funds and bequests, and can be trusted to fulfill both the legal and moral implications.

Please contact us at: United Ukrainian American Relief Committee Inc., 1206 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111; telephone, (215) 728-1630; fax (215) 718-1631; e-mail, uuarc@bellatlantic.net or our website, http://www.uuarc.org/.

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