Ukrainian Athletic-Educational Association Chornomorska Sitch celebrates 80th anniversary (10/24/04)

Ukrainian Athletic-Educational Association Chornomorska Sitch celebrates 80th anniversary

by Omelan Twardowsky

EAST HANOVER, N.J. - The 80th anniversary celebrations of the Ukrainian Athletic-Educational Association Chornomorska Sitch culminated here at the Ramada Hotel on October 2.

The jubilee program consisted of two stages. The first was a series of jubilee sports events: the chess championship of the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (USCAK); the USCAK-East soccer championship hosted by Sitch; and the USCAK swimming and tennis championships held at Soyuzivka. In the summer months there was also a three-week jubilee training camp for Ukrainian youth at the Chornomorska Sitch Sports School.

The jubilee celebrations were topped off with a banquet and ball attended by some 200 guests, including representatives of other Ukrainian sports organizations, as well as individual sports activists.

This stage of the celebration was introduced by younger Sitch members who co-chaired the Jubilee Committee - Yaroslav Twardowsky and Greg Serheev, who spoke respectively, in Ukrainian and English. They greeted all present and then asked them to honor the memory of the departed Sitch members with a moment of silence. They also introduced the two masters of ceremonies, also young Sitch members, Roman Holowinsky and Stephen Kolodiy.

The Rev. Leonid Malkov of the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Newark, N.J., conducted the prayer. Also present was the Rev. Mitred Roman Mirchuk of the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whippany, N.J.

During the dinner, the festive program proceeded as planned. Short speeches were delivered by Omelan Twardowsky, the president of Chornomorska Sitch, in Ukrainian and by Andrew Panas, a young Sitch activist, in English.

In his speech, the Sitch president referred to this celebration as unique, as very few diaspora organizations have managed to remain active into such an advanced age. "The fact that our Sitch chapter is the only one in America among the multitude of Sitch chapters that were active in 1930s that has remained active to this day should be credited to the Sitch founder and its first president, Ivan Hrynyk, a veteran of the Ukrainian War of Liberation, a former officer of the Ukrainian Galician Army, who adopted for this chapter a very flexible and dynamic doctrine," Mr. Twardowsky underscored.

In addition to intensive work with Ukrainian youths in the field of physical culture and sports, Sitch throughout its history has devoted significant attention to Ukraine, on behalf of which it has conducted both charitable work and political activity as was appropriate at a given time.

Since the time of Ukraine's independence, Sitch leaders have made important contributions toward the processes of the rebirth and the Ukrainization of sports in Ukraine. The organization Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine, which was created by leading Sitch activists, has carried out numerous political actions at diverse political forums for the good of Ukraine, Mr. Twardowsky continued.

Over the decades, young Sitch members have successfully represented the Ukrainian name in the American sports world. The hundreds of trophies, cups and certificates that adorn the Sitch home in Newark, as well as the USCAK Section at the Museum of the Sports Glory of Ukraine in Kyiv, attest to the fact that Chornomorska Sitch has boasted of such Olympians as Zenon Snylyk (in soccer) and Ron Karnaugh (in swimming), both of whom represented the U.S. in the Olympics.

Members of Sitch also took part in three Ukrainian Olympiads in the U.S.: in 1936, 1988 and 2000, as well as two International Free Olympics in Canada.

In conclusion, the Sitch president noted the positive development that a new generation of Sitch members has started to take over the baton from the older activists. He expressed his hope that they will guide Chornomorska Sitch to its centennial.

Next on the program was the recognition of distinguished officers and athletes who have been active in the last five years, as well as the medalists of the Olympiads mentioned above. Jubilee medals were presented to: Myron Stebelsky, Alexander Napora, Dr. Orest Popovych, Omelan Twardowsky, Nicholas Hordynsky, Wasyl Ciurpita, Dr. Oleh Kolodiy, Roman Pyndus, Bill Vincent, Walter Hywel and Eugene Chyzowych.

Also awarded were the following athletes and members of the governing board: Yaroslaw Twardowsky, Mr. Panas, Mr. Serheev, Stephan Kolodiy and Mark Hordynsky.

In the category of the benefactors of Sitch, jubilee awards were presented to the Self-Reliance Ukrainian-American Credit Union in Newark-Parsippany; the Newark Chapter of the Self-Reliance Society; and Orest Fedash, executive general manger of the Ramada Hotel in East Hanover, N.J.

Also honored were the following medalists from the Olympiads mentioned above: Andrew Bakun, Marian Hamulak, Bohdan Kucyna, Yaroslaw Twardowsky, Mr. Panas and Mr. Serheev in soccer; Zenia Matkiwsky-Olesnycky in tennis; Dr. Popovych in chess; and Daria Twardowsky-Vincent in volleyball.

Also honored were the ladies - the wives of the Sitch activists who over the years have supported their husbands in their Sitch work or those who performed carious duties for the society themselves; Lesia Stebelsky, Anna Twardowsky, Ola Napora, Daria Rudakewych, Slava Hordynsky, Luba Lapychak-Lesko, Taissa Turiansky, Anna Chyzowych, Bozhena Olshaniwsky, Olenka Kolodiy, Stefka Brencyh, Yevhenia Markus, Adia Fedash, Ms. Twardowsky-Vincent, Natalka Sygida and Tiffany Twardowsky.

In the course of the banquet, the guests were greeted by Mr. Stebelsky, president of USCAK; Marko Howansky, president of SUM Krylati, Yonkers; Taras Kozak, head of the Sports Section of Tryzub, Philadelphia; and Volodymyr Hnatkiwsky, delegate of the Carpathian Ski Club (KLK).

A greeting from the executive of the Ukrainian Fraternal Association was read by Mr. Napora; Dr. Kolodiy offered greetings on behalf of the Verkhovyna resort. Written felicitations came from the Ukrainian National Association, as well as Sen. John Corzine, New Jersey State Sen. Ronald Rice, Essex County Sheriff Armand Fontura, New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey and others.

The celebrations ended with a jubilee ball to the sounds of the Luna orchestra conducted by Oles Kuzyszyn.

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