From June 10th – 11th, 2017, CYM (Ukrainian Youth Association) organized the first Canadian Zlet and one of the highest attended SvyatoVesny of the past decade.
Similar tozlets hosted in Ellenville, New York, each year in the United States; the Canadian Zlet was hosted at CYM’s Camp Veselka in Acton, Ontario.
Over 120 children participated in the overnight camp which included participants from Montreal, Mississauga, and Etobicoke. Many people came to help-out from those cities, as well as others, including from as far away as Edmonton. The Cymivtisi, ranging in age from 4 to 17, participated in various physical, mental and linguistic activities. Saturday morning events included a presentation of their group projects (which were based on AktsiaVisla, UPA, CYM-knowledge, and Lemkivshtyna), rehearsing memorized Ukrainian poetry, written tests on Ukrainian history, and CYM know-how. At noon, delicious lunches were served; the lunch and other meals were catered by Babypoint Lounge with Larysa and OrysiaCzoli ensuring the kids were always well fed. The Czoli’s even served their famous garlic bread and varenyky. Saturday afternoon, an Olympic style competition commenced; including track and field events, soccer-baseball, and volleyball. In the evening the CYMivtsi had a zabava with fog machines and a light show set-up by Druh Michael Haruk. The zabava wrapped up with a spectacular fireworks show orchestrated by Druh Pawel Stech and YuraAleksandrov.
The Sunday was another beautiful day, where kids attended liturgy at the chapel with father Bohdan Slipyj. Following the liturgy, CYMivtsi marched to the stage and were joined with even more children and parents numbering well over 300; young CYMivtsi eager to receive their badges and ties they earned throughout the year. Both Canadian and Ukrainian anthems were played by Baturyn while the SvyatoVesny ceremony was MC-ed by Alexandra Kobyleckyj and attended by community leaders including PavloGrod (UCC President), Tamara Tataryn (Head of CYM Canada), Roman Medyk (head of the League of Ukrainian Canadians), BohdankaHontar (Head of CYM Mississauga), Marko Diaczun (Head of CYM Etobicoke), LarysaAleksandrov (Head of CYM Hamilton), KatrusiaKij (Bulavna of CYM Montreal), EerkaShust-Dankowicz (Head of CYM Toronto), and Tania Choly (Program director of CYM St. Catharines).
The Zlet was organized by LarysaStech, who is only 18 years old. She just completed high school and will be studying Life Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton this September.
Larysa assembled a committee which came together and spent many months strategizing and developing this event, to make sure budgets were administered and competitions were in place. The committee consisted of ZorianaKilyk, Stephanie Lewyckyj, Krystina Levitski, Natalya Savaryn, Natalia Hrynko, Pawel Stech, BohdankaHontar and Nicholas Kohut.
Behind the scenes, ensuring operations ran smoothly, werePavloZelyk, Thomas Birosz, and NestorSzewczyk. ZletKomanda consisted of Adrianna Medyk(Obozna), AdriyanHrycyshyn(Oboznyy), Katherine Lewkowicz(Secretary), PetrusiaHontar and LarysaZariczniak(Bonchuzni), and Nestor Sanajko(Komendant).
ZletKomanda would like to extend their acknowledgement and appreciation to all the CYMivtsi, their families and Oseredky, Veselka directors, volunteers, CYM Canada, and Larysa Stech for their contribution to the success of the first Canadian Zlet and SvyatoVesny this year. We are all looking forward to next year’s second annual!
From June 10th – 11th, 2017, CYM (Ukrainian Youth Association) organized the first Canadian Zlet and one of the highest attended SvyatoVesny of the past decade.
The Sunday was another beautiful day, where kids attended liturgy at the chapel with father Bohdan Slipyj. Following the liturgy, CYMivtsi marched to the stage and were joined with even more children and parents numbering well over 300; young CYMivtsi eager to receive their badges and ties they earned throughout the year. Both Canadian and Ukrainian anthems were played by Baturyn while the SvyatoVesny ceremony was MC-ed by Alexandra Kobyleckyj and attended by community leaders including PavloGrod (UCC President), Tamara Tataryn (Head of CYM Canada), Roman Medyk (head of the League of Ukrainian Canadians), BohdankaHontar (Head of CYM Mississauga), Marko Diaczun (Head of CYM Etobicoke), LarysaAleksandrov (Head of CYM Hamilton), KatrusiaKij (Bulavna of CYM Montreal), EerkaShust-Dankowicz (Head of CYM Toronto), and Tania Choly (Program director of CYM St. Catharines).
Behind the scenes, ensuring operations ran smoothly, werePavloZelyk, Thomas Birosz, and NestorSzewczyk. ZletKomanda consisted of Adrianna Medyk(Obozna), AdriyanHrycyshyn(Oboznyy), Katherine Lewkowicz(Secretary), PetrusiaHontar and LarysaZariczniak(Bonchuzni), and Nestor Sanajko(Komendant).
ZletKomanda would like to extend their acknowledgement and appreciation to all the CYMivtsi, their families and Oseredky, Veselka directors, volunteers, CYM Canada, and Larysa Stech for their contribution to the success of the first Canadian Zlet and SvyatoVesny this year. We are all looking forward to next year’s second annual!
