UCC-SPC 2007 Nation Builders & Community Recognition Honourees

September 24, 2007 -- (Saskatoon) This year marks the thirteenth year that the Ukrainian Canadian community of Saskatchewan, under the auspices of the UCC-SPC, will be celebrating the accomplishments and distinguished contributions of some of its notable citizens.

The 2007 Nation Builder & Community Recognition Awards will be presented to the honourees on Sunday, November 4th at a luncheon to be held at the Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza in Regina.

Nation Builders Awards are presented to persons who have, without reward or gain, made meritorious contributions which have had a significant impact; left a legacy; and/or provided an exemplary role model to the Ukrainian community and/or Saskatchewan-Canada. Recipients of the 2007 Nation Builders Awards are:

Sonia Violet Morris (d) (Windsor, ON-Saskatoon-Burnaby): educator; visionary; author; educational consultant; translator; recognized authority in multiculturalism; promoter of Fine Arts in Education; exponent of Ukrainian culture, language and education; served in many leadership roles including: Vice-Chair - Saskatchewan Arts Board; Chair - Saskatchewan Multicultural Advisory Board; President - Saskatchewan Association for Multicultural Education and Canadian Council for Multicultural and Intercultural Education, Member - Government of Saskatchewan Minister's Committee on Fine Arts in Education.

Eugene Joseph Krenosky (Vanguard-Regina): educator, church & community leader, dedicated volunteer; served in many leadership roles including: President - Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood of Canada; National Ukrainian Canadian Congress Vice President; President - Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Saskatchewan Provincial Council and UCC Regina branch; Chair - Regina Mosaic Festival; Regina Multicultural Council - Vice-Chair; Chair - Cable Regina Cooperative.

Community Recognition Awards are presented to persons who have made meritorious contributions in one or more of the areas of youth achievement; leadership; volunteerism; cultural preservation & development; and/or creativity & innovation to the Ukrainian community and/or Saskatchewan-Canada. Recipients of the 2007 Community Recognition Awards are:

Creativity & Innovation / Cultural Preservation & Development

Norman Harris (Endeavour): local pioneer history buff and ethnographer; collector of early settler artefacts; documented architecturally 11 pioneer homes and churches dating back to 1902; community-church activist; dedicated volunteer and enthusiast; one of the founder of Crystal Lake Trident Youth Camp; promoter of Ukrainian-Canadian culture, history, and traditions.

Sonja Pawliw (Whitesand-Yorkton): writer, educator; dedicated volunteer with the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada; respected community resource in Ukrainian language and folk-arts; church activist; recognized master gardener; cultivated a nationally recognized Meditation and Healing Garden in her backyard.

Leadership / Cultural Preservation & Development

Sylvia Gryba (Aberdeen-Cudworth-Saskatoon): church and community activist, teacher, volunteer, leader, role model, active in preserving and developing Ukrainian culture through dance.

Ann Ogenchuk (Krydor-Hafford): church and community activist, dedicated volunteer and community leader in her home community of Hafford, promoter of Ukrainian language, culture and traditions; business person; founder of Hafford Ukrainian Dancing Association and Ukrainian Music Festival; long-time Chair Hafford Housing Authority and volunteer with Hafford Hospital; coordinated fundraising effort to purchase Crooked Trees Tourist Site.

Edward P. Werbicki (Wakaw-Saskatoon): educator; principal; played important role in development of Ukrainian bilingual program in Saskatoon; long-time member of Knights of Columbus and 25-year Chair of Carol Festival; tireless volunteer; promoter of Ukrainian language, culture and traditions; church leader.

Volunteerism / Cultural Preservation & Development

William 'Bill' Dudar (d) (Garland, MB/Porcupine Plain/Saskatoon): volunteer, civic and church leader with Ukrainian Catholic Church, educator, business person, former Mayor of Porcupine Plain; past-President - Ukrainian Catholic Council of Saskatchewan; past-Chair - St Joseph’s Home.

Youth Achievement

Katerina Oleski (Melville-Regina): elementary school teacher; dedicated volunteer; youth ambassador; dancer; Sunday school, Ukrainian dance and ESL teacher; promoter of multiculturalism as a Board member of the Regina Multicultural Council; involved with community development work in Ukraine.

Brett Strutynski (Yorkton): community/school activist and tireless volunteer; Honours student; youth leader in local church; Ukrainian dancer; student representative council member; organized 4-part choir at school; Altar boy leader; involved with humanitarian work in Ukraine; promoter of Ukrainian language, culture and traditions.

For more information please contact either Danylo Puderak, Executive Director of UCC-SPC at 1-888-652-5850 or Dr. Tony Harras, Chair of the UCC-SPC Recognitions Committee at 306-586-6805.