The Ukrainian National Association concluded its 125th anniversary celebrations in the place where they began last year: Shamokin, Pa., the birthplace of this largest and oldest Ukrainian fraternal association. The quasquicentennial – yes, that’s the word for 125th anniversary – encompassed a year’s worth of notable observances.
On February 22, 2019, a UNA delegation led by President/CEO Stefan Kaczaraj and COO/National Secretary Yuriy Symczyk traveled to Shamokin on the exact date the UNA was founded 125 years earlier. A proclamation presented by Shamokin Mayor John J. Brown and the City Council cited the historic significance of Shamokin “as the birthplace of the Ukrainian National Association – and the foundation of organized community life of Ukrainian Americans in the United States.” A front-page story about the proclamation’s presentation appeared in the local newspaper, The News-Item, the following day.