April 16, 2016
Dear PACC Members and Friends,
Our April 10 Celebrate Poland event as part of Navy Pier's annual Neighborhoods of the World festival was a resounding success. We thank again everyone who spent all or a part of the day with us in the beautiful setting of the Crystal Gardens.
Celebrate Poland was a joyous occasion thanks to the tremendous artistry of all the entertainers. The spirit, talent, strength and beauty of each performance was a triumph, and filled the entire festival with energy from beginning to end. With pride and gratitude we wish to thank the Violinists and the Choir of the Paderewski Academy of Music; the Wici Song & Dance Theater; the Whispers Center for Artistic Expression; Polonia; Wesoly Lud; Wyspa Dzieci; Lajkonik; Mira Sojka-Topor; and Carolina Baran & Daniel Jonak.
We also offer our heartfelt thanks to all vendors (including food and drink providers Kasia's Deli, Biolo Izba, Qulinarnia, and European Beer Importers), exhibitors, and creative crafts presenters. We are very grateful for the planning and care they displayed, and were impressed by the variety and style of presentations.
While dozens of exhibitors, performers, and presenters heralded the diversity and richness of the Polish American arts and business communities, guests enjoyed opportunities to mingle and take photos with the Legion of Young Polish Women Debutantes of 2016, the Queen of this year's Polish Constitution Day Parade, and the Queen of the Highlanders Alliance. Special appearances included Mike Sieczkowski from Kansas, who brought to life a little bit of Polish history, during the country's 1,050th anniversary year, by walking the crowd dressed as a Polish winged hussar.
Much appreciation is extended to all PACC volunteers who helped produce the event to great acclaim by transforming the tropical/botanical confines of Crystal Gardens into a rich and lively showcase of Poland and Polish culture at one of Chicago's tourist hot spots during its 100th anniversary year. This includes the efforts of Yola Kaczmarska-Waltos who helped organize and manage the participation of artists and performers, the decorative suggestions and work by Jan Mlynarski, and the inspired designs of the Polish Facts series of educational banners by Gosia Koscielak of MEK Design Studio, Inc.
Overall, the event's success was largely made possible by the generosity of sponsors and numerous organizational partners who collaborated with us to help 'Celebrate Poland.'
PACC'S CELEBRATE POLAND ORGANIZATIONAL, MEDIA, AND BUSINESS PARTNERS:
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As the voice of Polish American business men and women, the PACC is dedicated to serving their best interests through education on current trends and facilitating commercial contacts. The organization is at the forefront at encouraging and promoting domestic and foreign trade to benefit its members, and to contribute to the expansion and integration of the Polish and Polish American business communities in the U.S. and abroad.
