June 7, 2009

Last weekend, Svyturys and Naujoji Intriga performed a great concert here in Cleveland, and later this morning, they’ll be performing at Divine Providence church in the Detroit area.

Today’s concert is a benefit organized by Lietuvos Dukterys, a group that helps people with significant medical issues. Lietuvos Dukterys provides funds to help pay for treatment expenses not covered by traditional insurance.

Everyone involved in today’s concert and dinner, including Svyturys and Naujoji Intriga is donating 100% of their time and materials so that all the proceeds can help a young mother who just underwent a bone marrow transplant. So, if you bought a ticket to last week’s concert, you’ll be pleased to know that those dollars are helping pay the travel costs so our young Cleveland performers can go to Detroit and perform a fundraiser for this very worthy organization.

The chairwoman of the Detroit chapter of Lietuvos Dukterys is Vida Juska, who also happens to be the mother-in-law of Laura Ruksenas.

St. George and Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishioners were sent letters soliciting suggestions for the name of the newly formed parish. All are urged to return the parish name suggestion forms by this weekend in a sealed envelope to the box in church, or to committee member, Birute Vedegys. The Parish Naming committee will meet on June 10 to compile a list of all suggested names. The plan is to mail the official voting ballot out to all parishioners by June 15th so all may vote for the new parish name.

Congratulations to Honorary Consul Ingrida Bublys, who was recently honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Cleveland chapter of Rotary International.

Amanda and Algirdas Muliolis will be at St. George today to ask for your support of APPLE.

Lithuanian citizens living in Cleveland can vote today in elections for European Parliament. The polls will be open at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the lower hall after 10:00 mass.

The Lits Anglers will meet at Lithuanian Village today at 12 noon.

The Baltic communities of Greater Cleveland will gather next Sunday, June 14th at Our Lady of Perpetual Help to commemorate the 1941 deportations of Baltic peoples to Siberia. The prayer service begins at 3:00 pm. Exultate will provide special music and there will be a reception in the lower hall after the service.

John Yagoda will present another session of his fused glass jewelry making class, next Saturday, June 13th at Lithuanian Village. Contact Ruta at the Club for more information.

The next meeting of the Cleveland Pensininkiu Klubas will be held on Thursday, July 23rd at 12 noon in Gintaras at Lithuanian Village. I hear that last month's meeting was a full house, so get there early if you want a seat.

The Lithuanian Club will hold its annual picnic on Saturday, July 25th at the Italian-American Center in Wickliffe. There will be great food and drink, entertainment by Kolorado Vabalai and the Gottsheer Blaskapelle Band, as well as a Krupnikas contest.

Looking ahead to some farewell activities at St. George, the final parish picnic at St. George will be Sunday August 9th, following 10:30 mass. And the farewell to St. George banquet will be Saturday evening, October 10th at Lithuanian Village.

And here's something I'm very excited about: Saturday, November 21st, the Cleveland Lietuviu Bendromene presents Lithuanian country music star Virgis Stakenas at Lithuanian Village.