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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЛИСТОПАД 2016 WWW.UNWLA.ORG 31 St. Petersburg, Florida, Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of Ukraine's Independence by Olya N. Czerkas, co-liaison for UNWLA Branches at Large A commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence was held on Sunday, Au- gust 28, 2016, at Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church, in St. Petersburg, Florida, which happens to be the home base of UNWLA Branch 124. The commemorative event also drew mem- bers of other Ukrainian communities in Western Florida (which also includes Clearwater, Tampa, Sarasota, and Northport), who traveled from near and far to participate in this momentous occasion. The day began with Father Roman Ba- diak, pastor of Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church who is also chaplain and member of the Ukrainian American Veterans Post 40 of Northport, Florida, celebrating the Holy Liturgy. Rev. Bohdan Malski, pastor of the Ukrainian Bap- tist Church, was our guest and spoke about Ukrainian Independence and the importance of all Ukrainians unifying. Members of Ukrainian American Ve- terans’ Post 40, Northport, Florida, then led a sol- emn procession to the church hall where a beauti- ful memorial plaque was blessed by Father Badi- ak. The plaque was dedicated in honor of those brave individuals who gave their lives for their be- loved Ukraine. Standing near the memorial plaque, the community observed a moment of si- lence. Candles were lit, songs were sung, and tears were shed in remembrance of those who had given their lives to create an independent Ukraine for future generations. Guests were then invited into the church hall for a beautiful program where a synopsis of Ukrainian history was presented in Ukrainian by Orest Dudyak and in English by Natalia Kha- khoula. The church choir sang under the direction of Nadia Sawa, a guitarist sang his original com- positions focusing on current events in Ukraine, and children recited touching poems. UAV Na- tional Commander Ihor Hron gave a stirring speech honoring those who had sacrificed every- thing for Ukraine’s independence. Guests of honor included three colonels from Ukraine who are currently stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Add- itional guests included generals and colonels from the United States, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Canada, Georgia, Tunisia, Lithuania, Po- land, and Italy. Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir under the direction of Nadia Sawa perform during the commemorative program. Lena Slywka and her daughters who would present the Ukrainian embroidered rushnyk during the blessing of the commemorative plaque. A luncheon followed the formal ceremony and was a perfect occasion for the members of our community to thank the military personnel for their service and dedication to their respective countries and to our mutual goal of freedom and independence for all nations of the world. The women of UNWLA Branch 124 were most helpful in making this a successful commu- nity event. Some were involved with the planning, some sang in the choir, some helped with the dec- orations, and many helped to prepare and serve the delicious buffet.
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