BINGO! – At the Ukrainian Women’s Organization, Toronto

By U. Steck

The Ukrainian Women’s Organization (UWO), Toronto Branch's twice-annual Bingo games, once before Easter and then again before Christmas, are always fun and exciting events.

And so it was this year when our ladies, some husbands, friends and supporters of UWO got together on April 8 and again on November 25 to celebrate the season and try their  hands at winning either a beautiful Easter egg or a fabulous Christmas gift. No matter who gets the prizes, we are all happy for the winners, who are our friends and our family. And, that is what UWO is, a “family”. We share our joys and sorrows, work together, and play together.

This past year we had a somewhat larger turnout for the Easter Bingo – maybe because after a cold winter of hibernating indoors, we, like the spring flowers, are ready to  “bloom” again, to go out, meet our  friends and revel in the fresh air of a new spring, while the dreary November weather is not as conducive for going out.

Our Bingo committee–Genya Hunchak, Anne Fedun,  Anna Adamovych, Senta Wozniuk, Ann Rebryk, Irene Cord, Lida Perets, Natalie Obal, Nadia Ostapchuk, Irene Fedina  (who does a fabulous job of collecting prizes) and Morris Hoshowsky – enjoy the preparations as much as the event itself. And we are fortunate  to have a guest “star” at Bingo – numbers caller, and UNF VP, Zenon Chwaluk, who entertains everyone with his wit and good humour, and sometimes UNF President Slavko Kowal stops by with a joke or two.

We thank all our present supporters and hope to see more new friends at the next Easter Bingo game. Watch for advertisements with the date.

Meanwhile, upcoming 2006 events to remember are: Malanka on Friday, January 13 at 7:00 p.m. (for reservations, call UNF at 416-253-6002), our “Christmas Dinner”  (“Sviata Vecheria”) on Sunday, January 15, at 2:00 p.m. and UWO-Toronto's annual meeting on Sunday, January 29 at 2:00 p.m. All events will be held at UNF, 145 Evans Ave., Toronto.