RICAN ME CO A N H G IS R L E S O S P

IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division HERITAGE AWARD BANQUET PROGRAM Cocktail Reception | Open Bar & Hors D’oeuvres Welcome & Introduction Michael Niedzinski President Polish American Congress Illinois Division Mistress of Ceremonies Honorable Aurelia Pucinski Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court

Presentation of Colors Ułani Polish Cavalry Polish and American National Anthems Mirosława Sojka Topór Music Anthony Kawalkowski

Remarks Frank J. Spula President Polish American Congress Consul General Piotr Janicki Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago Artistic Program Polonia Song & Dance Ensemble of PRCUA Director | Walter Bochenek Choreographer | Jaclyn Krysinski Presentation of Awards Michael Niedzinski & Bozenna Haszlakiewicz Heritage Award Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki Civic Award Richard Owsiany Community Service Award Lucie Bucki Historian Award Dominic A. Pacyga Ph.D. Artistic Award Ewa Milde & Bogdan Lanko Media Award Jacek Niemczyk Public Service Award Tom Startek Public Service Award Martin Obrecki, President’s Award Maria Roszek-Kucharski Polish American Foundation Scholarship | Anna Wierzbicki | President Toast | Mary Anselmo | Vice President Polish American Congress Invocation Rev. Richard Milek | St. Constance Parish Pastor Dinner | Smacznego | Bon Appetit Polonez | Polonia Song & Dance Ensemble of PRCUA | Choreographer Jaclyn Krysinski Dancing & Open Bar | Anthony Kawalkowski

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

HERITAGE AWARD BISHOP THOMAS JOHN PAPROCKI

Bishop Thomas Paprocki was born on August 5, 1952 in Chicago, Illinois to a family of six brothers and two sisters. He graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in 1970 and obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Niles College in 1974. From 1974 to 1979, he studied at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, where he earned a Bachelor’s in Sacred Theology (1976), Master’s in Divinity (1978), and Licentiate in Sacred Theology (1979).

Bishop Thomas Paprocki was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1978. After ordination, he studied law at DePaul University College of Law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1981. He worked as a parish priest at St. Michael Church in South Chicago, a neighborhood with high unemployment due to the shutdowns of local steel mills. Fr. Paprocki was the co founder of the South Chicago Legal Clinic to help answer a need for legal services for the poor. In 2014 Bishop Paprocki was named President Emeritus and Of Counsel of the organization, presently the Chicago Legal Clinic.

In November, 1985, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin appointed Fr. Paprocki Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago and in 1987 sent him to do post graduate studies in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He completed his doctoral degree in 1991. Fr. Paprocki then returned to his previous position in Chicago as Vice Chancellor and was appoint- ed Chancellor in March, 1992, serving in that capacity under Cardinal Bernardin and then under Cardinal Francis George, following Cardinal Bernardin’s death in 1996.

Concluding his service as Chancellor after two terms in office in June, 2000, Fr. Paprocki studied Polish language and culture at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. In January 2001, he was appointed Pastor of St. Constance Parish, serving primarily a large immigrant community from Poland on the northwest side of Chicago. Pope John Paul II appointed him to serve as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago on January 24, 2003. Cardinal George named him Liaison for Health and Hospital Af- fairs in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Bishop Paprocki serves as Vice-President of the Illinois Catholic Health Association. He is a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, the Committee on Budget and Finance, and the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. He formerly served on the USCCB Administrative Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty. In addition to English, he speaks Polish, Spanish and Italian, and he reads Latin. On June 22, 2010, Bishop Paprocki was installed the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. In May 2013 he received his Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from the University of Notre Dame. He taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law from 1999 to 2015. He joined the Adjunct Faculty of Notre Dame Law School in 2016.

Bishop Paprocki’s hobbies are reading, running and playing hockey. A lifelong fan of hockey and the Blackhawks - he is sometimes referred to in the media as the “Holy Goalie”. He has run twenty-three marathons: Chicago (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2005), Columbus, Ohio (1998), Boston (1998), Rome (2000) Athens (2000), Washington, D.C. (2004 & 2007), Dayton, Ohio (2006), Dublin, Ireland (2008), Minneapolis-St. Paul (2009), Denver (2010), Kansas City (2011), St. Louis (2012), Springfield (2013 and 2015), Philadelphia (2016) and Indianapolis (2017), in the process rais- ing $492,131.64 for charity. He has made the connection between sports and faith a focus of his ministry. In this regard, he serves as the Chairman of the Episcopal Advisory Board of Catholic Athletes for Christ. His book, Holy Goals for Body and Soul: Eight Steps to Connect Sports with God and Faith, was published by Ave Maria Press (Notre Dame, Indiana), in 2013.

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

CIVIC AWARD RICHARD OWSIANY

Richard Owsiany was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, son of Gabriel, a soldier of the Polish 1st Armored Division, and Krystyna Owsiany. After graduating from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science in Management and attending the Keller Graduate School of Management, Mr. Owsiany worked for Ald. Roman Pucinski as Chief Legislative Analyst for the Chicago City Council. Following that, for many years, Richard was the Director of the Grievance Center for the Service Employees International Union. Currently he works for the Chicago Transit Authority and is responsible for union labor relations. Richard has been active in Polonia since childhood. He graduated from the Ignacy Paderewski Polish Language School and was involved in the Polish Boy Scouts - Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego. As a youth and young adult he assumed each leadership roles along the way, leading scout troops and cub scouts. As an adult he was treasurer of the Chicago Council and a board member of the Chicago, National and International Board of Directors of ZHP. Richard continues to be involved with local Polish youth and maintains the Archival Collection for the Council. He has also been involved with Polish Folk Dancing; first as a dancer (with the Lechici Dancers), and later as choreographer for many Polish Folk events and festivals. Currently he is the choreographer of the White and Red Ball (Bal Amarantowy). Today, Richard is President of the Polish Museum of America (elected in October 2014), having been Vice Presi- dent from 2008 thru 2014. He is a member of the Polish National Alliance, Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, Polonus Philatelic Society and the Society of Saint Adalbert committee to save and preserve Chicago Polonia’s third oldest church. Richard has also been involved in the ongoing revitalization of the Polish Triangle at Milwaukee, Division and Ashland. Richard founded and was president of the DePaul University Polish Club and PULL Together, an alliance of Polish, Ukrainian, Latvian and Lithuanian student organizations. At the same time he was president of the Chi- cago Intercollegiate Council. Over the years he was involved with several Polish organizations; Polish American Congress IL Division, Polish American Foundation, and Copernicus Foundation. Richard received many awards and recognitions for his contributions to society. Among the most significant are: Outstanding Young Man of America Award (1985); The Silver Cross of Merit – Srebrny Krzyż Zasługi by the Polish Government in Exile (1989); City of Chicago Community Recognition Award (2011); the Gold Cross of Merit -Złoty Krzyż Oficerski Orderu Zasługi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej by the Republic of Poland (2019).

He is the father of Christopher and Alexander and resides on the northwest side of Chicago.

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

LUCIE BUCKI

Lucie Bucki is a product of her life's experiences. She is a child of WWII, a time that profoundly and forever changed her biological family's make up. With her adoptive parents, she spent some time in a post war Dis- placed Persons (DP) camp in Germany, then after coming to Chicago she began the new experience of being an immigrant child in a strange land.

She claims that her life's values were greatly influenced by the Polish order of nuns the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, in service to the Polish immigrant community since the mid-19th century. At the time of Lucie's school years, they were teaching both at St Hedwig’s parish grammar school and at Holy Family Academy (a high school for girls). Lucie also became a Diploma Program Registered Nurse graduate of St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital School of Nursing and then earned her BS from St Francis University in Joliet. As a teen she was a harcerka in the Polish Scouting Organization (PSO). This experience reinforced her values of service to God, Country and fellowmen, the basics of scouting principles.

There was a time when she was very involved in raising her young family, Eva, Peter and Paul, while still working professionally in various nursing specialties and needed to wait until her children got older to begin her volunteer work. Harcerstwo (PSO) was her first choice because her children could also be involved at the same time in scouting activities thus making this a family activity.

As her family matured and began moving to its own life's choices, Lucie began to enjoy volunteering opportu- nities. She became a member of the Legion of the Young Polish Women and subsequently becoming its Presi- dents. She now continues to serve this organization in various capacities. After earning a scoutmaster degree (Harcmistrzyni) in the PSO-ZHP, Inc., she served as the Przewodnicząca Zarządu Okręgu (USA National Board President) for 2 years and later as the Komendatka Chorągwi Harcerek (National President of the Girls' Division) for 6 years. She now continues to serve the PSO in various capacities, and lately, as the promoter for the sharing of the annual Bethlehem Peace Light.

Since her retirement Lucie became more actively involved in other volunteering pursuits. Both in 2011 and 2012 she volunteered with medical missions in Guatemala. For the past 8 years she is a regular volunteer at the Old Irving Park Community Free Clinic, being of service to the Polish language patients. She is also a volunteer docent at the Polish Museum of America and for the past few years Lucie continues to serve on the board of the Council of Educators in Polonia.

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division ARTISTIC AWARD EWA MILDE

Ewa Milde: wzięte z internetu (teatr teraz):”Biografia tej artystki owiana jest tajemnicą”. I niech tak zostanie. Zajmijmy się jedynie jej drogą artystyczną. Po ukończeniu Państwowej Wyższej Szkoły Filmowej Telewizyjnej i Teatralnej w Łodzi powodowana naczelną cechą swego charakteru, czyli ciekawością, artystka udała się do nowopowstałego teatru w Słupsku, gdzie za rolę Jadwini w „ Dzikiej Kaczce” Ibsena otrzymała nagrodę dla najlepszej młodej aktorki na festiwalu teatralnym w Toruniu. Po roku przeniosła się do Szczecina ( role m.in.:w „Ordynacie Michorowskim” i Psyche w „Erosie i Psyche” Żuławskiego) aby znów po roku przenieść się do Kalisza. Też na krótko, ale intensywnie. Grała w „ Moralności Pani Dulskiej”, „ Nocach i Dniach”, „Trędowatej”. Za rolę księżnej Iriny w „ Szewcach” Witkacego dostała prywatną nagrodę od aktorów Teatru „ Laboratorium” Grotowskiego. Mniej więcej w tym samym czasie została uznana za najlepszą aktorkę roku w plebiscycie „Życia Warszawy”. Była to rola w telewizyjnym spektaklu „Gody Życia „ Przybyszewskiego. Po niespełna dwóch latach znalazła w końcu swoje miejsce w warszawskim teatrze „ Ateneum” ,gdzie została na długo. Potem jeszcze Szwecja i zrealizowany tam mierny film fabularny „ Pay off” oraz parę filmików komercyjnych. To mniej więcej tyle . Ale dość żeby nie wyszło, że spadła tu z Księżyca. Tu następuje zmiana narracji na osobistą. Więc – USA, gdzie przyjechałam za namową Waltera Kotaby żeby popracować w radiu i w raczkującej wówczas telewizji polonijnej. Zderzenie wyobrażeń o Amerykańskim Raju z Rzeczywistością wypadło ,mówiąc oględnie, mizernie. Tak więc po paru miesiącach z powodu niemożności dogadania się ze współpracownikiem zmieniłam stację radiową na WPNA 1490 AM Program Na Serio i tak jest do dziś czyli 32 lata. Ktoś, chyba Konfucjusz powiedział: „znajdź sobie pracę ,którą pokochasz a nigdy nie będziesz musiał pracować”. To prawda. Kocham radio i nasz przebogaty język polski choć ten też się troszkę degeneruje jak w ogóle Sztuka przez duże S (przede wszystkim malarstwo, teatr, nawet do opery udaje się wepchać rozmaitym patałachom). Ale do rzeczy. Równolegle z pracą w radiu organizowaliśmy (Bogdan Łańko i ja ) wieczory poetyckie, iwenty (nowe „cudne” słowo w polszczyźnie) iwenty „na temat” i „ ku czci”, przedstawienia teatralne robione „po bożemu” m.in.: „Audiencja „ Havla, „Ławeczka „ Gelmana, „Emigranci ‘ Mrożka, „Niedźwiedź” i „Oświadczyny” Czechowa , „ Lato w Nohant „ Iwaszkiewicza czy „ Kobiety w Życiu Chopina” i „ Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki”. Najmilszą nagrodą jaką otrzymałam był „ Medal Pamiątkowy Pułku Ułanów Karpackich” za „ Krzewienie Kultury polskiej na obczyźnie” plus śliczny kubeczek, który się zaraz stłukł ( czy na pewno na szczęście ?- polemizowałabym). Resztę czasu i energii pochłaniał „ BOCIAN”, w wielu wydaniach spektaklo-kabaret, jak „Hemar”, „Ref-Ren Nasz Kochany”, „Osiecka” (dwie części), „Tuwim”, „Młynarski”, „Waligórski” kilka różnych wieczorów o Powstaniu Warszawskim. Także przedstawiające sylwetki miejscowych artystów : Mietka Wolnego, Janusza Pliwko, Zbigniewa Bernolaka czy Wojtka Borkowskiego , wieczory „z Kasią” i o niezapomnianej Kasi Sobczyk. I setki pokazów tzw. Kabaretu literackiego, bądź przedstawień okolicznościowych. To mniej więcej tyle. Trzydzieści lat temu ciągle słyszałam narzekanie , że artyści nie mają „ swojego” miejsca dosłownie i w przenośni. Czy coś się zmieniło? Chyba niewiele .A co w moim amerykańskim „dorobku” najważniejsze? Wspaniali słuchacze, wspaniali widzowie, kilkoro wspaniałych przyjaciół. I mąż. Rzecz jasna – też wspaniały.

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

ARTISTIC AWARD BOGDAN ŁAŃKO

Bogdan Łańko: absolwent Państwowej Wyższej Szkoły Filmowej Telewizyjnej i Teatralnej im. L. Schillera w Łodzi .Wcześniej otrzymał dyplom choreografa ,następnie podjął studia w PWST w Krakowie potem Wrocław teatr Pantomimy Tomaszewskiego, „ Laboratorium” Grotowskiego ( „Drzewo” i „Droga” liczne happeningi), OTO Kalambur ( „Nagie Szaty Króla”, „Biała Skrzynia” reż. B. Litwiniec). W Łodzi zagrał m.in. w przedstawieniach takich,jak: „Wyspa”-A. Fugarda, „Bez Wyjścia”- J. P. Sartrea, „Dzień dobry i Do widzenia” – A. Fugarda (Teatr Studio ) A także „ Operetka „ Gombrowicza, „Pastorałka” –L. Schillera (Teatr Jaracza )„Ich Zachowanie Było bez zarzutu” – G. Losehutz, „Bal Manekinów” – J. Jasińkiego, „ Wszystko Dobre co się Dobrze Kończy” W. Shakepeare i innych. W 1984 roku przylatuje do USA. Podejmuje studia reżyserii, wykłada na SUNY wydział teatralny. Bierze również udział w artystycznych happeningach „Mime Street Show” New York City. Następnie wykłady na Northwestern University w Evanston na wydziale teatralnym. Wooden Gallery Jerzego Kenara, to kolejna przygoda za Sztuką .Tym razem to już Chicago. Tam zakłada „Studio Pod Wiórem”, a następnie „Studio ‘88”. Liczne happeningi, wystawy, poetycko - muzyczne przedstawienia, „Zaduszki poetycko –muzyczne”, spektakle teatralne m.in.” Audiencja” W. Havla także koncerty i kabaret literacki. Tam też organizuje wyjątkowy spektakl - monodram Feliksa Konarskiego Ref-Rena „ Rozmowy z Niną” (został on nagrany audio i wideo) Działalność tą przenosi później wraz Ewą Milde do Cafe Lura gdzie nadal kwitnie życie artystyczne a scena i atmosfera przyciąga znakomitych artystów i wspaniałą widownię. Kto pamięta te czasy? Kabaret „Bocian” powstaje w 1997 roku ( również scena poezji, scena prozy i teatr).Jako kabaret literacki braliśmy pod uwagę materiał literacko - muzyczny na jak najwyższym poziomie a tematy nam dyktowały pory roku,święta i te religijne i te państwowe i te rocznicowe. A też warto oddać hołd naszym Wieszczom, poetom,artystom itd. Nic dziwnego, że w dorobku tej działalności tych programów, przedstawień, koncertów było setki (i to nie przesada). O część z nich wspominała Ewa .Warto by to wszystko spisać ale nie jest to możliwe na jednej stronie. Jeszcze działalność reżysersko pedagogiczno producencka z Grupą Teatralną „Proscenium” z którą się związałem od 2005 roku. Wspaniali ludzie, zdolni, zakochani w teatrze dziękuję im wszystkim za tę ogromną pracę jaką wykonali a oto spektakle ,które wyreżyserowałem: „Misterium Męki Pańskiej”, „Panna Maliczewska” G. Zapolskiej „Misterium Męki Pańskiej Czekając Na Mesjasza”, „ Pasja”, „Mały Książe”- wg. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, „Oberża POD CZERWONYM MAKIEM –jak bańka mydlana”(teksty Feliksa Konarskiego), „Szukamy Stajenki”, „ Niemcy” L. Kruczkowskiego, „Lato w Nohant”- J. Iwaszkiewicz, „ O mniejszych braciszkach św, Franciszka” –M. Guśniowska (więcej możecie Państwo znaleźć na stronie Grupa teatralna Proscenium w Lombard). Pominąłem zapewne sporo a tu jeszcze należy dodać, że od 1988 roku do dziś wraz z moją ukochaną Muzą czyli żoną mamy przyjemność prowadzić program radiowy NA SERIO WPNA 1490 AM, który również daje nam szansę krzewienia kultury i przebywania ze wspaniałymi słuchaczami. Odznaczenia: „ZASŁUŻONY DLA KULTURY POLSKIEJ’ „KRZYŻ KAWALERSKI ORDERU ZASŁUGI RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ POLSKIEJ „

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

HISTORIAN AWARD DOMINIC A. PACYGA, PH.D.

Emeritus Professor of History Department of Humanities, History, and Social Sciences Columbia College

Dominic A. Pacyga was born in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood in 1949, to the late Pauline Walkosz and Joseph Pacyga. All his grandparents immigrated before World War One to Chicago from Podhale and set- tled in the Back of the Yards. He worked his way through college as a livestock handler and security guard in the Union Stock Yards until they closed in 1971. Dominic A. Pacyga received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1981. He has authored, or co-authored, seven books about Chicago’s history including Slaughterhouse: Chicago’s Union Stock Yards and the World It Made (2015), Chicago: A Biography (2009) and Polish Immigrants and Indus- trial Chicago (1991, 2001), Chicago: City of Neighborhoods with Ellen Skerrett (1986), Chicago: A Histori- cal Guide to the Neighborhoods (1979) with Glen Holt, Chicago’s Southeast Side (1998) with Rod Sellers. Pacyga’s newest book, American Warsaw: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Polish Chicago will be published by the University of Chicago Press in the fall of 2019. From March 2018 to March 2019 he had a weekly podcast concerning Polish Chicago’s history on the WPNA-FM website. These broadcasts were translated into Polish and appeared in the weekend edition of the Dziennik Związkowy. He has lectured widely on topics ranging from urban development, residential architecture, labor history, immigration, to racial and ethnic relations, and has appeared in both the local and national media. Pacyga was a member of the Humanities, History, and Social Sciences Department at Columbia College/Chicago from 1984 until his retirement in 2017. He has consulted with various museums on a variety of public history projects. Pacyga has also worked with numerous neighbor- hood organizations as well as ethnic, labor, and fraternal groups to preserve and exhibit their histories. He and Charles Shanabruch are co-editors of The Chicago Bungalow (2001). Pacyga has won both the Oscar Halecki Award from the Polish American Historical Association for his book, Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago and the Catholic Book Award for Chicago: City of Neighborhoods. In 2014 he was awarded the Miecislaus Haiman Award by the Polish American Historical Association for his contribution to Polonia Studies. In both 1999 and 2011 he received the Columbia College Award for Excel- lence in Teaching. In 2015 he won the Russell P. Strange Memorial Book of the Year Award from the Illinois State Historical Society for Slaughterhouse. Pacyga has been a Visiting Professor at both the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2005 he was a Visiting Fellow at Campion Hall, Oxford University. He was awarded a Fulbright Grant and taught in the Institute for American Studies and the Polish Diaspora at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland during the 2013-2014 academic year. Pacyga is married to his wife Kathleen Alaimo since 1983 and they have 2 daughters Johanna and Beatrice. Johanna is working on her doctoral dissertation in Anthropology/Archaeology at the University of Chicago. Beatrice is working as a social worker for Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago. She received her MSW from the University of South Carolina.

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

MEDIA AWARD JACEK NIEMCZYK

General Manager of Radio103.1 FM Polish-American MIX (since 2017) and WPNA 1490 AM (since 2015).

He has been working in broadcasting in both Poland and the United States since 1992. He worked as a Music Director, Program Director, Radio/TV Producer and Host for radio and television sta- tions including as Radio Pro Kolor in Opole, RH Kontakt in Warsaw, RMF FM and TV WISŁA in Cracow, NASZE RADIO in Fort Lee, NJ, WRKL 910 AM in New City, NY, WNVR 1030 AM and TV Polvision in Chicago, IL. He holds a Master of Arts in Journalism and Political Science from The College of Social and Media Culture in Toruń, Poland Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Communications and Culture from Wrocław University, Media Marketing Specialist certificate from The American School of Ad- vertising in Fort Lee, NJ and Audio Recording and Production Specialist certificate from The Insti- tute of Audio Research in New York, NY.

He has been involved in the Polish-American community since immigrating to United States in 1997. He is a member of many organizations including Polish American Congress and Polish Na- tional Alliance. As a journalist, he had the chance to meet and speak to thousands of people, from average citizens to heads of state.

He is a great enthusiast of history and culture. As a biker, he visited the site of first Polish settlers in Jamestown, VA and rode thousands of miles in the Katyń Rally to commemorate the victims of the Soviet Massacre in the Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Thanks to the new format at Radio 103.1 FM he is reaching not only Polish immigrants but also Polish- American helping them feel proud of their roots. Due to his efforts, The Polish Independence Run (Bieg Stulecia) was organized and drew the symbolic number of 1918 runners on the day of 100th anniversary of Poland regaining its freedom. He is a loving husband of his best friend, companion and the love of his life, Kasia, and a proud father of Adam.

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

PHILANTHROPIC AWARD TOM STARTEK

Tom Startek was born in Lublin Voivodeship in Poland. He studied at the University School of Physical Education in Krakow.

In 1986 Tom left Poland, seeking political asylum in the United States and arrived in Chicago.

In 1993 he started his own company and in 2002 through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work he achieved his American Dream by establishing Star-Tech Glass, Inc., a company spe- cializing in commercial and industrial glass and aluminum.

For the past 25 years, Tom has been involved with the Polish Community with cultural, phil- anthropic, business and political activities. He has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Polish Film Festival in America as well as a main sponsor of this event. For six years, he was a President of the Polish American Chambers of Commerce. He is an active supporter of Gift of the Heart Foundation, Paderewski Symphony Orchestra, Chicago, Polish Museum of America, Little Stars Theatre Workshop for Children, St. Constance Catholic Parish and many, many others.

In 2018 Tom was chosen to represent Polonia in Chicago as the Grand Marshall of the Polish Constitution Day Parade.

As a devoted Father, Tom loves to ski and play golf with his family.

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD MARTIN OBRĘCKI

Martin has been a Chicago Police Officer since 1998 and has worked as a patrol officer, tactical officer, gang enforcement officer, and has worked in many specialized units. His current as- signment is a Gang Investigations Officer and Terrorism Liaison Officer. He is the president of the Polish American Police Association, also known as PAPA, for the past 7 years. Martin has received numerous accolades from the Chicago Police Department including Honorable Men- tions, Complimentary Letters, and many department awards and certificates. He obtained his Business Degree and Communications degree from Elmhurst College.

Martin has been engaged with the Polish community in Chicago for many years, and now more than ever with the Polish American Police Association. Just recently, Martin has started a regis- tration and question and answer day for the Chicago Police Department’s application process. This was held at the Polish Museum of America. He is always looking for a way to better the Polish community, and the Police community as well. Martin can also be heard doing many interviews on Polish radio and television. Martin is proud of his Polish heritage, and proud of making PAPA a big voice in the Polish communities throughout the Chicagoland area.

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IL L N IN IO 1944 O IS D IV IS 2019 The Polish American Congress Illinois Division

PRESIDENT’S AWARD MARIA ROSZEK-KUCHARSKI

I was born in Germany toward the end of the war. German nuns saved the lives of my Mother and me from the destruction that was occurring at the time. After the war, I returned to Poland with my parents. I graduated from High School in Ostrow Greater Poland Providence, and then went to a two year diploma school in Kalisz to become a Registered Nurse. After graduating, I started working in a children’s sanatorium in Karpacz. In 1974 I immigrated to the USA. I worked for 25 years for a large commercial printing shop in the control department. After 3 years in the USA, I joined the Polish National Alliance, Lodge 877 – Thousand Braves Society. For the last 20 years I have been President of this Lodge. About 30 years ago, I joined and became involved in the Polish American Congress. I was involved in social activities, various charitable events and in organizing many patriotic events. For several years I was one of the six Vice Presidents. For 2 terms, I was the Second Vice President and then the First Vice President for 2 terms. For many years I managed the Polish American Congress Illinois Division of- fice. I volunteered my time and effort to ensure that the office ran smoothly. Whatever was needed and whenever I was needed, I helped.

Urodziłam się w Niemczech pod koniec wojny. Od zagłady mnie i moją mamę uratowały niemieckie siostry zakonne. Po zakończeniu wojny wróciłam wraz z rodzicami do Polski. Liceum ukończyłam w Ostrowie Wlkp,a następnie dwuletnią szkołę dla pielęgniarek dyplomowanych w Kaliszu. Po uzyska- niu dyplomu podjęłam w tym zawodzie pracę w Karpaczu w sanatorium dziecięcym. W 1974r. wyemigrowałam do USA. Pracowałam przez 25 lat w dużej drukarni komercyjnej w dziale kontrolnym. Po trzech latach pobytu w USA zapisałam się do Związku Narodowego Polskiego do Grupy 877 Towa- rzystwa Tysiąc Walecznych. W grupie tej od dwudziestu lat do obecnej chwili pełnię funkcję prezesa. Około 30 lat temu zapisałam się do Kongresu Polonii Amerykańskiej,gdzie zaangażowałam się w dzia- łalność społeczną. Pomagałam w różnych akcjach charytatywnych. Pracowałam przy organizowaniu wielu imprez patriotycznych. Przez kilka lat pełniłam funkcję jednego z sześciu wiceprezesów. Przez dwie kadencje byłam drugim wiceprezesem, a następnie przez dwie kadencje pierwszym wicepreze- sem. Społecznie prowadziłam przez wiele lat biuro Kongresu. Prowadząc biuro byłam do dyspozycji o każdej porze.

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