More: SPFF Awards page

More: Recent Redmond Reporter article about Gosia.

More: SPFF donor page, SPFF sponsor page

On the left the 2016 SPFF poster by Celeste Caliri.

The Polish Women's Club invites everybody to pierogi making sessions before the Fall Bazaar at the Polish Cultural Center on Nov 5-6, 2016. Come to help, or come to learn how to make pierogi first and then help at one of these days:

       September 29 & 27 and October 4, 11 & 18  2016

   All pierogi making sessions are at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 pm.

More: Contact the Club President Irena Kulik for more info

More: SPFF site poster competition page

On the left my favorite poster by Celeste Caliri.

The Ethnic Heritage Council announced a video and film competition open to King County middle school to high school students. The entries should cover one of the following topics:

  ♦ What you love about your culture

  ♦ Concerns and issues in your ethnic community

Three first awards of $1000 and three second awards of $500 will be granted

The deadline for entry forms is August 1, video submission deadline is September 15

The Lacey-Mińsk Mazowiecki Sister City Assn received recently the Dick Williams Award in recognition of the outstanding efforts to promote mutual respect and dignity through the acceptance of ethnic, cultural, development and academic diversity. Since 2005, the Association organized regular student and educator exchanges between Lacey, WA and Mińsk Mazowiecki, a city about 25 miles east of Warsaw, and other events. Congratulations to President Mary Kirker, activists Jacek Anuszewski, Paul Perz, Stephen Dobosz and the whole Association!

June 20th was the 100th anniversary for Maj. Ambroży (Al) Tomalik. Mr. Tomalik was a long time member of the Polish Home Association and of the local WWII Polish veteran lodge. During WWII he fought under Gen. Anders and was seriously wounded at Monte Cassino. He arrived in Seattle in 1961 and worked for Boeing. He lives at his home with his step-son, is in good spirit and can slowly walk around. Congratulations!

More: SPFF site poster competition page

On the left my favorite poster by Celeste Caliri.

The Ethnic Heritage Council announced a video and film competition open to King County middle school to high school students. The entries should cover one of the following topics:

  ♦ What you love about your culture

  ♦ Concerns and issues in your ethnic community

Three first awards of $1000 and three second awards of $500 will be granted

The deadline for entry forms is August 1, video submission deadline is September 15

Due to high demand to meet the consul, the consular visit to Seattle to process passport applications for Polish citizens has been extended for a half a day to June 3, 2016. The Consul will be available at the Polish Cultural Center on June 1 & 2 from 9 am to 5 pm  and on June 3 from 9 am to 12 noon, by reservation only. To make a reservation send an email to [email protected] stating your name, DOB, the PESEL number and a preferred time.

Where: at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski in Seattle, WA; reservations required.

On May 4, 2016 at the Polish Consulate General in Los Angeles five outstanding Polish-Americans received the Wybitny Polak Award; the honorees included Mr. Michal Pietrzyk of Seattle. Mr. Pietrzyk, a documentary movie producer, has been an active member of the Polish community; he is the Artistic Director of the Seattle Polish Film Festival. The award, granted by the Teraz Polska Foundation recognizes recipients for their professional achievements and for promoting positive image of Poland abroad. Congratulations!

More: about the award, 2016 award recipients by category (PL)

Polish Festival Seattle announces the 2016 edition of the drawing contest for children ages 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. This year's contest theme is Beautiful Warsaw - this follows the Festival theme which is the Masovia region and Warsaw. Thee are great prizes in each category and the pictures submitted to the contest will be exhibited at the Festival on July 9, 2016 at the Seattle Center.

More: Detailed info about the contest rules

The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in LA recently re-posted an official announcement about legal aspects of the situation when a Polish citizen with dual citizenship visits Poland using a non-Polish passport. The gist seems to be that you better have your valid Polish passport on you, but please read this doc to be aware of what your legal rights (and legal pitfalls) are. Technically, this is just a reminder of the long standing laws ... so maybe this is a signal about different level of enforcement.

On May 3, the Seattle Foundation (SF) hosts the annual GiveBIG event – a one-day, online charitable giving event to benefit local nonprofits. It's an opportunity to support your favorite Polish causes! Donations channeled through the GiveBIG event receive a small bonus from the SF - we expect the net bonus (the bonus minus costs) to be about 3% this year. You can also donate directly (see below) without the bonus. You can support all local Polish causes, events and orgs in the Pacific Northwest.

Our Seattle Polish Foundation (SPF, formerly Polish Home Foundation, PHF) partners with the SF for this event. To donate to the SPF through the GiveBIG event, visit the SPF Donation Page at the Seattle Foundation site - please specify the cause you want supported in the Comments field. To donate to the SPF directly, please visit the Donations page at the PHF site. 

During his visit to Seattle on April 12, 2016, Consul General Mariusz Brymora decorated Mr. Ireneusz Prędki with the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in recognition of his contributions to the democratic changes in Poland during the Solidarity movement. Mr. Prędki, a textile engineer from Opoczno, was the Solidarity leader for the Ziemia Piotrkowska Province in 1980-1981. This honor has been bestowed by the President of Poland. Congratulations!

More: Mr. Predki Solidarity bio (PL),  IPN info about Mr. Predki (PL).

Photo  courtesy Gail Ann Photography Seattle, more photos from the decoration.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles kindly informs that the consular visit to Seattle to process passport applications only is scheduled for June 1 & 2, 2016. The Consul will be available at the Polish Cultural Center from 9 am to 5 pm both days by reservation only. To make a reservation send an email to [email protected] stating your name, DOB, the PESEL number and a preferred time.

Where: at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski in Seattle, WA; reservations required.

The Polish Cultural Center Women's Club invites everybody to pierogi making sessions before the Spring Bazaar at the Polish Home on March 19, 2016. Come to help, or come to learn how to make pierogi first and then help at one of these days:

       February 16 & 23 and March 1, 2016

   All pierogi making sessions are at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 pm.

More: Contact the Club President Irena Kulik for more info

Wybitny Polak is an award given by the Foundation Teraz Polska to outstanding Poles living abroad to promote their success and positive impact of Poland. The nominations to the 2016 West Coast edition of the award can be submitted till February 15. The nomination process is open to the public and in fact participation of different Polish communities is encouraged.

The awards are in five categories: business, culture, science, personality and Young Pole (less than 35 years); the Western Coast covers 15 states in the LA consular region, including Washington. The 2015 recipients included Mr. Alex Herbst. Please nominate outstanding people you know!

More: about the award, how to nominate (PDF), Zycie Kolorado with the call for nominations (PL), about 2015 awards article in June 2015 edition of Zycie Kolorado rds (PL), the award jury includes Honorary Consul Teresa Davis of Seattle, at [email protected].

The ‪Fallen ‪‎Heroes Project to honor ‪sixty six Polish soldiers who died serving with the Polish Army as the allies in Iraq and Afghanistan was spearheaded in ‪Seattle by Bob Michalak and supported by the Polish community. Local artist Michael ‪‎Reagan painted sixty six individual portraits that were framed and sent to Poland. On December 21, 2015, Mr. Michalak opened a memorial exhibition for the Polish fallen heroes at the Center for Foreign Mission Veterans in Warsaw in the presence of the soldiers' families who received the portraits. Kudos to Mr. Michalak and thank you for your big heart!

More: about the Polish Fallen Heroes Project, about the Exhibition, photo gallery from the memorial, an article at Polska Zbrojna site (PL)

The project is not quite done financially - to help with the remaining costs please contact Mr. Michalak or John Golubiec.