Social activity schedule resumes

   The monthly membership meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Commander Eugene A. Tomashosky of North Port, will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”) in North Port. Commander Tomashosky is asking all members to attend this very important and informative meeting.

    The agenda of the meeting will include, in addition to the traditional ceremonies and reports, several reports of UAV national officers and delegates to the 67th UAV National Convention held last weekend in Ohio, report of the post’s nominating committee in anticipation of the election of 2014-15 officers at the November monthly meeting, and finalization of plans for the officers installation/ fundraiser luncheon to be held at noon Nov. 13 at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club, 3401 S. Sumter Blvd.

    Tickets for this very popular affair, including the officers installation ceremony and other activities, with music by “VLAD” and a delicious buffet lunch, are available for $25 per person (checks payable to “UAV 40”), and must be purchased by no later than Nov. 7 from Post 40 members, including yours truly.

    All proceeds will go to the UAV National Monument Fund. The UAV National Memorial, honoring all members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and located on a plot donated for this purpose by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Cemetery in South Bound Brook, N.J., is scheduled to be completed and formally dedicated during the UAV 68th National Convention in the fall of 2015.
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    North Port Branch 56 of Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian ladies), and headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, held its second post-vacation membership meeting yesterday at the Oseredok.

    It was a very lively and interesting meeting, with members who visited Ukraine last summer relaying their experiences and impressions, and UNWLA National Welfare Chair Lidia Bilous of Osprey providing information about the latest UNWLA project, “Helping Victims of the Ukrainian War of Dignity” of the UNWLA War Victims Fund. This fundraising is to pay for the shipment of very expensive medical equipment donated by Boston, Mass., hospitals for hospitals in Ukraine, and to provide assistance to the victims of the Russian-inspired and assisted war activity in the southeastern part of Ukraine.

    The official publication about this action stresses the fact that UNWLA, a 501(c)(3) organization, since its establishment by the Ukrainian American patriotic and longsighted ladies in 1925, was the leading organization in the area of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians all over the world who found themselves in need of financial or moral assistance. Ms. Bilous provided facts and figures about the sums expended over the years up until very recently.
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    The 2012 London Olympics heavyweight champion and 2011 world champion Oleksander Usyk (5-0, five KOs) of Ukraine acquired a vacant WBO I/C interim title by defeating South African cruiserweight champion Daniel “Billy the Kid” Bruwer (24-6-1, 21 KOs) in seven one-sided rounds in Lviv, Ukraine.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn