Chester Lobrow
General Chairman
2001 Polish Heritage Festival
On Sunday, June 3rd, Polish residents of the Metropolitan New York area will meet for the 29th time at the largest festival organized in a prestigious spot at the huge amphitheater in Holmdel adjoined by extensive parks (exit 116 from Garden State Parkway). Each year a larger group of our countryman comes to New Jersey to take part in Polish life. Participants at the festival are families of many generations, groups of friends and singles. They come to rejoice their heritage, in their harts, through their eyes and ears, and in that spirit they bring up the youngest generation born on emigration.
As the Chairman of this year's festival, I have the greatest honor to invite everyone to take an active part in our joined, joyful, singing and dancing Polish crowd. I can assure you that together with a huge group of co-organizers we did everything possible to ensure that our get together will be attractive, and will satisfy the expectations of all those who will come on that day to Holmdel. The program that we prepared is universal and will address everyone and will include artists from Poland. Hence, we are inviting the youngest and oldest generations. We invite those born in the USA, as well as, those who just not too long ago enlarged our immigration family. We invite those who only speak Polish and all those who might have forgotten their homeland language but continue to feel Polish and promote the Polish tradition in their home.
We especially invite the children. This festival will be one of a kind in their life that will make them proud of their culture and homeland. These youngsters will in a few years no doubt continue to represent us Poles in America. Let us therefore, teach them patriotism and to honor their tradition. Let us teach them the Polish language, Polish history and culture. But, let us also teach them tolerance for all those with whom we live in our united American home.
With the thought of our youngsters and all those who will partake in the contests, games and competitions in Holmdel I donated 6 bicycles. I would like the winners, while they are reaching their American goals and achievements not to forget their heritage, and not to forget, perhaps this first bicycle in their life that they had won during a Polish Holiday.
And so I part with you until Holmdel. Let us show, that Polish residents of New Jersey and New York are not only one of the largest ethnic groups, but a group that through its tradition, numerousness and affluence have the ambition to attain the highest place among many nations conjoined into one American nation.
On that account, this should be our combined venture to unite our Polish ethnic group today, and for years to come.
Chester Lobrow
General Chairman of the Polish Heritage Festival 2001