NORTH PORT, Fla. – The Ukrainian community of southwest Florida honored the victims of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster with a memorial service on May 5 at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port, officiated by the Rev. Vasyl Petriv, with five altar boys serving.
Holding lighted candles were members of the United Ukrainian American Organizations of Southwest Florida: Vira Bodnaruk (Ukrainian Language Society), Eugene Tomashoski (Ukrainian American Veterans), Daria Tomashoski (Ukrainian American Club), Doris Horbachevsky (Ukrainian American Club), Lesia Popel (Ukrainian National Women’s League of America), Romana Guran (Ukrainian National Women’s League of America), Nellia Lechman (Ukrainian Language Society), Dr. Bohdan Bodnaruk (Ukrainian Language Society) and Larysa Shpon (St. Mary’s Parish).
The Ukrainian American community of Southwest Florida also remembers the Chornobyl tragedy by organizing exhibits in public libraries and taking part in Earth Day celebrations with a table display of materials about the nuclear accident.
Members of the United Ukrainian American Organizations of Southwest Florida with lighted candles.