"LIGHTING THE WAY TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON" - PNA'S THIRD ANNUAL TREE
LIGHTING CEREMONY

Chicago, Illinois - The Holiday of Christmas began early this season at the Polish National Alliance. It was the week before Thanksgiving that everything at the Home Office started to get in the festive spirit. The seventeen Christmas trees were placed in the front of the Home Office awaiting their lights for the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The entire PNA was decorated so wonderfully inside, outside, in front and back for the members and neighborhood to enjoy. Even those driving by on the expressway could view trees from the roof of the building as well.

Those who helped to create the magic of the beautifully decorated Christmas Trees inside and outside included Wanda Penar, Joan Oskorep,, Robert Jadach, Adam Maj, Chester Iwan, and others within the Home Office Staff. Victor Modlinski and John Benedetti set up the sound system and provided the ceremony with a mixture of Holiday Music in both English and Polish languages.

The evening of November 29th, 2007, the third PNA Tree Lighting Ceremony took place in front of the Home Office Building. The theme for this year's ceremony was called "Lighting the Way to the Holiday Season". It was a cold and crisp evening, but not like the year before where the temperature dropped down to 15 degrees and was very frigid. Gathering for the ceremony were the National Officers, President Frank Spula, Vice Presidents Teresa Abick and Paul Odrobina, Acting Secretary Les Kuczynski, Treasurer Marian Grabowski, PNA Board of Directors, Anna Wierzbicki, Arthur Trybek, Cecelia Tomaszkiewicz, and Christine Domalewski, PNA Commissioners District 12 Barbara Wesolowski and Roman Bucon, Commissioner District 13 Zenon Olejniczak, local politicians including, Alderman 45th Ward Patrick Levar, Former 47th Ward Committeeman Edmund Kelly, Alderman 39th Ward Margaret Laurino, Joan Ellen Smuda Candidate for Judge, Terrence O'Brien, President of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago, Dean Maragos Candidate for Metropolitan Water Reclamation Commissioner, Frank Gardiner Candidate for Judge and Harwood Heights Trustee Mark Dobrzycki, PNA Employees, PNA lodge and council members and the Chopin Choir under the Direction of Eugeniusz Belarim sang Carols after the ceremony in the PNA cafeteria.

Vice President Teresa Abick thanked everyone attending on the cold night and moved through the program quickly. She asked for the assistance of Ed Kelly who lit the decorated  building from the outside and Alderman Margaret Laurino to assist in the countdown and lighting of the trees. The guests were invited to the PNA cafeteria to enjoy hot chocolate, coffee hot tea and Christmas sweets.

Story and Photos by: Robert M. Jadach

To View Full Version of Photo - Click on the Thumbnail Below