Ukrainian pavilion at EPCOT gets first funding (03/08/98)

Ukrainian pavilion at EPCOT gets first funding

by Natalia Warren
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Upon receiving a $10,000 deposit, George Kalogridis, vice-president of EPCOT, granted Taras (Jason) Harper, president of the Ukrainian Project Fund and a Walt Disney World employee, a 60-day extension to find sponsorship for the EPCOT Millennium Celebration - Ukraine Initiative.

The $10,000 was delivered to Mr. Harper from the offices of a prominent Ukrainian American businessman who has been considering partial sponsorship of the Ukrainian pavilion since he was contacted about the project in January.

"I would love to reveal his name because, personally, I think that everyone will consider him a hero," explained Mr. Harper, "but I just have not been able to confirm that he is ready to go public and I need to respect that," he continued.

The $10,000 deposit, which Mr. Harper forwarded to Mr. Kalogridis on March 2, has in effect purchased an extra 60 days for finding sponsorship for the pavilion and is fully refundable.

Mr. Harper had been working with the understanding that a $10,000 security deposit and letter of intent would give him 30 days to find full sponsorship for the pavilion, which would include a $40,000 non-refundable deposit. "George Kalogridis personally met last week with one of our potential sponsors and knows that the Ukrainian community is very excited about this pavilion, so he gave us a 60-day extension instead," explained Mr. Harper.

"The contract with Disney is currently being signed and that gives us until about the first week of May to line up the sponsors," he continued.

Mr. Haper who is a TV studio manager at the Disney Institute, was appointed by Mr. Kalogridis to represent Disney's Ukraine Initiative.

From October 1999 until January 2001, the EPCOT theme park, part of the 44-square-mile Walt Disney World complex in Florida, will host a Millennium Celebration with the theme "Hope for a Better World." Joining the current display of countries at EPCOT will be dozens of new pavilions that will showcase the many different aspects of each nation in support of the overall theme. The pavilions will average 3,000 square feet in size and cost between $800,000 and $2 million each.

With approximately two months to find a sponsor, Mr. Harper is as hopeful as ever that members of the Ukrainian community will step forward. "If the potential sponsors really understood how much support they have from the Ukrainian diaspora, I am certain they would be even more willing to come up with the funds," he noted.

"All the people I have spoken with over the last few months understand exactly what a Ukrainian pavilion at EPCOT would mean to those of us who are always coming across people who have never even heard of Ukraine," he added.

But Mr. Harper is not counting only on money from the Ukrainian diaspora to find the project. On March 7, Marta Kokolskyj, who since 1990 has worked as a consultant bringing American industry and technology to Ukraine, will be traveling there, devoting the first two weeks of her trip to drumming up support for the pavilion.

Ms. Kokolskyj, who will be meeting with very high ranking government officials and directors of large agricultural and industrial complexes, pointed out that there are certain agricultural and industrial businesses in Ukraine that are doing very well and could possibly be in a position to finance the pavilion.

"Ukraine is the largest producer of sugar beats in Europe and the second largest producer of sunflower oil," she noted, adding that sponsoring the pavilion would give these businesses a "super opportunity" for displaying their nation and their industries.

Mr. Harper pointed out that in the last few weeks even more individuals and organizations have begun working very hard to find sponsors. "Julie and Markian Silecky, who have law offices in New Jersey and Kyiv, are making contacts with members of the World Bank, and Kalyna Hrushetsky, director of Leo Burnett in Kyiv, is contacting the ad agency's clients in Ukraine," he noted.

"I will be meeting here with Askold Lozynskyj, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, later this week, and we recently contacted Jack Palance," continued Mr. Harper.

Mr. Harper is speaking with supporters and potential sponsors on both sides of the Atlantic because for him it is "not a question of who sponsors the pavilion, it is a question of whether or not there will be a Ukrainian pavilion at all," he stated.

He stands firm in his opinion that if Ukraine wants to become recognized as a country that has entered the world community, then presence at the EPCOT Millennium Celebration is a must. "You have to remember that 400 million to 500 million people from all over the world will be exposed to what is going on at EPCOT during those 15 months," he explained.

Mr. Harper may be reached at (407) 827-4982; via e-mail at his home, [email protected]; or at the office, [email protected]