UWO’s Scholarship Tea in Windsor

By Luba Kosak

It is difficult to believe that UWO’s Scholarship Tea is now entering its twenty-first year.  In 1985, during the  presidency of Luba Kosak, the Ukrainian Women’s  Organization (UWO) began a project to develop a relationship with young people, to give them an incentive to study and to introduce them to our organization, UWO­.

In 1986, at the first tea, one student received $250; in 2006, eight students received $500 each. Over 21 years,  85 students have received these scholarships.

This year it was our pleasure to have Mrs. Natalie Bundza-Iwanytzkyj, the UWO National Board President, as the main speaker at the Scholarship Tea on  September 17. The emcee at the event, which took place at the Ukrainian National Federation Hall, was Leisha Nazerewich. Nina Nedin, president of the Windsor Branch,  introduced Natalie and, along with Leisha, presented the scholarship to this year’s recipients.

Michelle Bocian and Anna Skorobohacz were recipients of the Fred and Mary Kirachuk Memorial Scholarship;  Oksana Dets was the recipient of the Olga and Michal Stechey Memorial Scholarship, and Natalia Morrissey, Amy Nazarewich, Laska Pare, Erica Walker and Andrei Zeleney were recipients of the Ukrainian Women’s Organization Scholarship.

As part of the afternoon program, the guest artist, Halyna Mordowanec-Regenbogen, exhibited her artwork on a Ukrainian theme. Her series of oil paintings showed young men and women in traditional regional Ukrainian costumes, highlighted against a background of kilims decorated according to their regions.  In addition, she included paintings of a young couple being blessed by their parents, a Hutsul couple and a group of young girls at Easter doing hahilky, traditional Easter dances.

Born in Keil, Germany, Ms. Mordowanec-Regenbogen has worked as a visual artist and instructor. She taught Visual Arts at the high school level and at the University of Windsor.  She has taken part in 43 group exhibits and in six one-woman exhibits in Canada and the U.S.A.

Active in the Ukrainian community, she organized the Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund in Windsor for eight years. 

Onstage entertainment was provided by the duo of Oksana Pikush and Olena Kis; their accompanist was Svetlana Schifmann, who also played a piano solo. The program ended with a raffle of a portrait of a young girl in costume, donated by our guest artist. Our audience was then invited to take part in a reception and to enjoy sandwiches, sweets, tea and coffee.

Contributions to the UWO. Scholarship Fund were made in the memory of Mrs. Sophie Lysy and Mrs. Olga Stechey.  We thank the Windsor community for their generosity in contributing to the Scholarship Fund.  Very often, we receive contributions in memory of loved ones and as bequests in honour of parents to this fund.

Our branch tries to work with and help our youth in our own area, but we are also active supporting three schools in Ukraine (in Kirovohrhad, Petrowsky, and Truskavets). 

In addition, this year, we have donated funds to help rebuild a Greek Catholic Church, which burned to the ground, in Drohobych, Ukraine.

After a successful Scholarship Tea this year, we look forward to celebrating the 21st anniversary of this event in 2007.