Northeastern Pennsylvanians gather at County Courthouse (09/19/04)

THE 13th ANNIVERSARY OF UKRAINE'S INDEPENDENCE

Northeastern Pennsylvanians gather at County Courthouse

SCRANTON, Pa. - On Tuesday, August 24, the Lackawanna County Commissioners invited members of the Ukrainian American community to the county courthouse in Central City Scranton to publicly celebrate the 13th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

Commissioners Robert C. Cordaro, A.J. Munchak and Randy A. Castellani proclaimed Tuesday, August 24, as "Ukrainian Independence Day" in Lackawanna County, emphasizing that Ukrainians throughout the world have preserved an indestructible spirit of religious, cultural, historical and national identity. They noted that all freedom-loving people and the Ukrainian Heritage Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania share in the celebration of the anniversary of Ukraine's long-awaited self-determination and casting off of Soviet communism.

Coordinated by the Ukrainian Heritage Council of Northeastem Pennsylvania, the ceremonies took place outdoors at the main entrance to the courthouse and also included the raising of the Ukrainian flag and singing of both the Ukrainian national anthem and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

This year's celebration was dedicated to all the Ukrainian athletes participating in the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. As citizens of free Ukraine, they no longer lose their true identity by being labeled as athletes of the Soviet Union, but now to the entire world they proudly represent their sovereign homeland, Ukraine.

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