William Penn Life, 2018 (53. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2018-02-01 / 2. szám
Branch News Sandy Stasko and Jim Balias prepare to deliver Holiday Baskets prepared by the members of Branch I, Branch 1 Bridgeport, CT by Jim Balias Our branch Christmas party was held Dec. 10 at United Church of Christ Puritan Hall in Bridgeport. We had to change the date of our party from the previous day due to several reasons, among them the weather. Nevertheless, our branch members joined together with members of the United Church of Christ for a wonderful party. Many church members are also WPA members, so this joint effort worked well. Everyone attending had a great time. We all are looking forward to our next gathering. Every member of our branch and church was invited. We had a good group of young and old (and a few in between). The hall was decorated in the holiday spirit as Christmas music played, creating a festive atmosphere. Guests enjoyed drinks of all kinds, an assortment of cheese and crackers and some delicious Hungarian salami and kolbász. After a nice period of member fellowship, we began with a short introduction. Everyone then enjoyed the catered lunch of chicken, meat balls, sausage and peppers, baked ziti, salad and an assortment of Christmas cookies and pastries for dessert. The food was great and more than enough. A few guests joined in singing Christmas carols using the songbooks provided by the Home Office. Due to the bad weather and Rudolph's busy schedule, Santa came early. But, he did leave gifts for the children who were present. They enjoyed the gifts and coloring books with crayons. All were treated with a goodie bag of WPA items and other items from our branch for them to take home. The 2018 WPA calendar was extremely popular. The branch members especially liked the new style with photos of events throughout each month. One of our branch Christmas party photos from last year is in the December photo collage. In conjunction with this event, our branch held a food drive. We received a huge amount of non-perishable food items from our members. We also participated in the WPA Holiday Basket program. We used some of the donated items to make up three baskets of food and used the additional funds from the Home Office ($50 for each of three baskets) to add grocery store gift cards. This would enable the three local families who received the baskets to purchase some fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. The remaining food items were donated to a local shelter and food bank for those in need. We are happy to fulfill part of our fraternal mission and spread the holiday spirit within our community. Thanks to the branch members who helped with the planning and setup of the party, especially Branch President Bill Bero, Secretary Sandy Stasko and Ann Balias. They did a great job! In all, it was a superb day. Everyone enjoyed the food and company and sharing the holiday spirit. It was wonderful for our branch members to gather and celebrate together. Everyone is looking forward to the next event. Branch 14 Cleveland, OH by Richard E. Sarosi We hope everyone had a great New Year's celebration and that those affected by the sub-zero temperatures have since warmed up. We have several months of cold temperatures to go and more snow to come. So, Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones. We had a bit of a break during the month of January as there were few activities taking place. I will, however, be attending the 60th anniversary of the White Rose Ball in Dearborn, Mich., on Feb. 3, details of which I will share with you in my next article. Please make note of the following upcoming Branch 14 meetings and events and other local activities. • Our next Branch 14 meeting will be held Wednesday, March 7, at 7:00 p.m. at the Bethlen Hall of The First Hungarian Reformed Church, 14530 Alexander Road, Walton Hills. WPA Branch 14 adult members and guests are welcome to attend. • Paprika! 2018 will be held Saturday, March 10, at the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland. • Hungarian Heritage Night with the Lake County Captains at Classic Park will be held Saturday, June 30. • The Cleveland Hungarian Cultural Garden will celebrate its 80th anniversary on June 24. • The Cleveland Hungarian Cultural Garden will host a golf outing and dinner in July. • The Third Gala Organ Concert for the benefit of the Cleveland Hungarian Cultural Garden will be held Sunday, Oct. 7. Remember to check upcoming issues of William Penn Life for up-todate information on all events and activities, including those sponsored by WPA and those being held in the Hungarian community. The officers of Branch 14 extend our sympathy to those Branch 14 and WPA members who have recently lost a loved one. We send our condolences to Patty Morey and her family on the passing of her husband, John Morey 12 0 February 2018 0 WILLIAM PENN LIFE
