Flag Raising Ceremony - City Hall - August 24, 2023

З Днем Незалежності, Україно! We were honoured to see so many attendees at the Flag-Raising Ceremony held today at Municipal Plaza in honour of Ukraine's Independence Day! Thank you to everyone who attended including dignitaries such as our honoured speaker Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Councillor Terry Wong - Ward 7 City Councillor for your ongoing solidarity!
Speakers for the event included UCC-Ukrainian Canadian Congress - UCC Calgary Branch President Dr. Danylo Moussienko and Iryna Moroz, who also spearheaded the "Rushnyk Peremohy" initiative. A "Cloth of Victory," hand-sewn in Ukraine and by members of Calgary's Ukrainian community and blessed by Fr. Roman Planchak, was presented to Mayor Gondek and the City of Calgary as a symbol of the Ukrainian community's gratitude for their ongoing and unwavering solidarity!
Guest performances featured anthem singer Lyudmyla Rukavitsyna-Heath and a performance by Pereveslo Choir led by Kateryna Saxon and accompanied by pianist Ivan Kharlamov. Thank you to the talented Anastasiia Haiduchenko for serving as emcee as well as to UCC-Calgary's new Official Correspondent Anhelina Taran for sharing community updates. Please visit her YouTube channel for more information and weekly UCC community updates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G0Y04vzKHc
Sincere thanks to Halya Wilson for organizing the event as well as to Alexander Iwasyk for audio support, Oleksandr Zagirskyy and Echoes of Ukraine YYC for photo/video coverage, and Olya Glamazda and Ruslana Glamazda and all additional helping hands!