Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
As the sun began its gradual descent, the serene beauty of the surrounding desert created a picture perfect ambience. The sky became a collage of reds and oranges. In the background, the sur rounding mountain ranges took on a softer hue. The sporadic and very stoic saguaro cacti stood guard while crickets commenced their nocturnal symphony. As dusk fell, several of those attending cooled off in the pool under the star sprinkled sky. Christine Boyko, our UNWLA president, initiated the formal portion of the evening by welcoming all and thanking them for their support. She also spoke about the UNWLA Scholarship Program, and many guests were pleasantly surprised to learn about its tremendous positive impact on the lives of many Ukrainians around the world. The Scholarship Program was created in 1967 and, as of 2001, had awarded over $3.1 million dollars to more than 16,000 recipients in the United States, Europe, South America, and Ukraine. According to UNWLA Scholarship Program Circular #1,” dated September 1, 2002, the program’s purpose is to “enhance and create opportunity through education and preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage within and outside the United States of America.” The criteria for eligibility are simple: knowledge of the Ukrainian language and financial need. The Martini Party then kicked into its fundraising mode with an auction. Items for the auction were either donated by UNWLA members or diligently gathered by Nataliya Biskup, who visited local businesses seeking product donations. Some of the items up for auction included gift baskets from Trader Joe’s and Starbuck’s, Smirnoff Vodka imported from Ukraine, bottles of fine wine, Harkin’s Theatre movie passes, and gift certificates to Florencia Pizza. (Florencia is a pizzeria owned by a Ukrainian family, and their pizza is the best to be had west of Sicily.) The auctioneer for the event was Dr. Mychajlo Schubyn whose suave talent for getting the highest bid possible is almost legendary. In Alaska, he could sell ice to the Eskimos; in Arizona, he could sell sand to the Navajos. Some of the items auctioned brought in between $100 to $200 each! While everyone agreed that it was a fun evening, no one could dispute the significance of the program it was designed to support. Because there are so many needs in the world, it is easy to think, “How can I possibly make an impact?” The answer is that we are not expected to help everybody—this would be a daunting task for even someone as wealthy as Bill Gates or Ted Turner. But although we cannot help everyone, the help we can provide to some is critical. One person’s commitment can impact our world. By helping others to help themselves, Nataliya Biskup’s showed that this can be done. More importantly, her goodwill gesture will show at least one recipient of UNWLA’s Scholarship program that there is compassion in the world. Hopefully, this recipient will pass on the legacy by helping someone else. M artini Party organizer Nataliya Biskup and her father, Ihor Biskup
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36-37 
38-39 
40 
