Forty-five years ago, on October 26, 1974, nearly 500 persons attended the 50th anniversary banquet at Club Navaho Manor in Irvington, N.J., to mark the founding of Ukrainian Athletic Education Association Chornomorska Sitch.
Based in Newark, N.J., the club was founded on December 21, 1924, and remains the oldest Ukrainian sports club in the U.S.A. In 1974, the club had more than 300 members and 11 athletic teams, including soccer, ice hockey and bridge.
The banquet was opened by the club president, Myron Stebeslky. Zenon Snylyk, editor of The Ukrainian Weekly and a former three-time U.S. Olympian and World Cup soccer player, served as emcee. Mr. Snylyk introduced representatives of over 40 various local organizations. The keynote address was delivered by Yaroslav Chorostil, former president and secretary of the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (USCAK). Mr. Chorostil was a founding member of the S.A. Toronto soccer club, and also greeted the banquet guests on behalf of the club.
Greetings were also delivered by Joseph Lesawyer, Ukrainian National Association supreme president and Ukrainian Congress Committee of America vice-president; Ivan Oleksyn, president of the Ukrainian Fraternal Association; Roman Kacil, president of USCAK; Dr. Yaroslaw Bernadyn of the Providence Association; Nestor Barniak, vice-president of the local UCCA branch; and Stephania Bukshowany on behalf of the Organization for the Rebirth of Ukraine (ODWU).
Rep. Joseph G. Minish (D-N.J.) extended greetings to Sitch and voiced strong support for the Ukrainian people’s struggle for freedom. Other local politicians included Roman Pitio, councilman for Irvington, and Michael Bottone, Newark councilman.
During the evening, some 80 activists of Sitch were honored at the banquet with medals and certificates for services rendered to the club on and off the field of play.
This year, the Sitch organization marks 95 years since its founding in 1924. Since 2006, the club has been based out of the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey in Whippany.
Source: “Newark ‘Sitch’ marks 50th with banquet,” The Ukrainian Weekly, November 1974.