|
WHY HOLD A UKRAINIAN DAY AT GIANTS STADIUM?
The Orange Revolution was ultimately a joyous occasion, a
celebration of a nation taking its destiny into its own hands and
away from those that would suppress Ukrainian sovereignty and the
independent spirit of its people. An opportunity for our brethren in
the homeland of our ancestors to also join a Western world that we
have grown to appreciate and support, living here in America.
Several members of our Organizing
Committee were on the maidan in Kiev as the dramatic events
unfolded and they attest to the buoyant atmosphere maintained by the
brave souls at ground zero of the revolution. So we too celebrate,
with a Ukrainian festival, filled with the sights and sounds of a
people who understand the value of communal gatherings, full of
music, dance, traditional delicacies and sporting competition.
Along the way, we will foster opportunities for a ceremonial
appreciation of our community gathering. A society is blessed and
enriched by its young, and we will celebrate our own, in halftime
festivities on the field of Giants Stadium, as our youth experiences
the cheers and roars of tens of thousands of appreciative fans (and,
oh, possibly while wearing an orange memento provided for their
participation - click on button just above this message for details
and a form). We will have some surprise dignitaries addressing
the assemblage. Video presentations filmed on the maidan of
the Orange Revolution will broadcast during the day. Bands will
play, and dancers will perform. Sports and cultural programs are
given their due elsewhere on this web.
As more information is generated, we will post it on this webpage.
Finally, a note of gratitude to our hosts, the MetroStars MLS soccer
club. Giants Stadium is a world-recognized arena. Pele played his
farewell match here, and numerous World Cup games were contested
here, televised to billions of fans. Our current heroes, the
MetroStars call the Stadium home, and world-renowned clubs such as
AC Milan (current home of the greatest player in the world Andrij
Shevchenko), Bayern Munich and Manchester United have graced the
pitch in recent years. The US National Mens team played Jamaica here
in its last preparation game before departing for Japan and reaching
the World Cup quarters. Using the Stadium facilities for our
festival, having our Ukrainian-American All-Star team play on the
main field, letting our children parade across the pitch in planned
ceremonies are unique experiences. Accessing the Stadium on our own
would be prohibitively expensive; coordinating our usage with a
MetroStars game that already has use of the facilities makes the
entire event feasible.
Looking forward to September 17th,
Bohdan Porytko, Member - Ceremonial Program Committee |
Olympic Skater OKSANA
BAIUL to Attend Festival
Oksana Baiul, Olympic &
World Champion Womens Figure Skater representing Ukraine in
international competition, has accepted an invitation from Ukrainian
Day Chairman Gene Chyzowych to attend the festival on September 17.
Gene Chyzowych noted
that "Oksana will attend the festivities, sign autographs and kick
off the game ball at the games in the stadium. We are delighted to
have Oksana participate in the program, we expect her to have some
fun during the day, and I am sure her fans will enjoy being able to
meet her in a festive, informal setting." |
