Ladies' Night Out in Jersey raises funds for The Ukrainian Museum (04/11/04)

Ladies' Night Out in Jersey raises funds for The Ukrainian Museum

by Romana Cap-Labrosse

EAST HANOVER, N.J. - It was billed as a "relaxing evening with good food, old friends and great conversation - all for a terrific cause," and by all accounts that's exactly what the participants enjoyed.

The event was a Ladies' Night Out in support of New York City's Ukrainian Museum. About 60 women attended the benefit at the Ramada Inn in East Hanover, N.J., on Friday, March 12.

This Ladies' Night Out was the latest in a series organized by Slava Hordynsky of Springfield, N.J., each in support of a different cause. With construction of the new Ukrainian Museum building completed and its grand opening scheduled for this fall, Ms. Hordynsky felt the time was right to focus attention on the importance of the museum to the Ukrainian American community.

"As a long-time member of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America [which founded the museum 28 years ago] and of The Ukrainian Museum itself, I realize that the museum plays a crucial role in our community," said Ms. Hordynsky. "Its collections of folk art and fine art are extraordinary, and its historical archives have been the basis for several exhibitions, most recently the highly praised Holodomor [Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933] exhibition at the United Nations."

"In its role as a museum of Ukrainian heritage, and in its beautiful new facility in the heart of Manhattan's artistic and academic community, The Ukrainian Museum will be a showcase for Ukrainian culture," she added. "It will be visited by thousands of people from all over the world. It deserves our support."

And that's what it received at the Ladies' Night Out, which raised $4,627 for the museum, including a $3,000 gift from museum member Daria Temnycky toward the much-anticipated inaugural exhibition of works by world-renowned sculptor Alexander Archipenko, which will open the museum's new building this fall.

The importance of fund-raisers such as the Ladies' Night Out and other similar events held in support of The Ukrainian Museum cannot be overstated, noted Olha Hnateyko, president of the museum's board of trustees.

"In recent years, a number of our younger members have become actively involved in building support for the museum," she said. "They've organized the Stride 'n Ride events, garden parties, malanka dinner/dances, and the like - all of which have been hugely successful. We're very grateful to them, and we encourage everyone in the Ukrainian American community who has not already done so to consider becoming a member of The Ukrainian Museum."

The benefits of membership are numerous. Members are invited to exhibition openings and to museum-sponsored concerts, lectures, and seminars. In addition to free admission, members receive a 10 percent discount on any purchases made at the Museum Gift Shop (including online purchases) and on the cost of workshops and lectures. They also receive all the museum's mailings, such as newsletters, calendars of events and the annual report.

Membership information may be obtained from the museum's website (www.ukrainianmuseum.org) or by contacting the museum at (212) 228-0110 (phone) or (212) 228-1947 (fax). Until its move, the museum's mailing address remains 203 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003.

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