Maria Radzewicz
General Chairwoman
2002 Polish Heritage Festival
On June 2nd, 2002, the Polish community of New Jersey will, for the 30th time, celebrate a day of Polish Pride. On that day, on the beautiful terrains of the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel (Garden State Parkway, exit 116), we will have an opportunity to present our wonderful Polish traditions, culture and customs on the American soil.
We are proud of our past and our country that was home to many great people: Nicolas Copernicus "stopped the sun and moved the earth"; heroes of the two continents: Casimir Pulaski and Thaddeus Kosciusko, who fought for American independence; poet Adam Mickiewicz who helped in spreading the Polish word and culture; the works of Chopin that were played throughout all of Europe; generals Pilsudski, Haller and Anders, under whose command our nation fought for independence. Among them we should also name the "Solidarity" leader and the Nobel Peace Prize recipient Lech Walesa, and the Holy Father Pope John Paul II.
Another example of the truthfulness of Mikolaj Rej's (16th century Polish poet) thesis "that Poles are not geese and have their own language..." is this particular Polish Heritage Festival, for ages now organized on the American soil—"sweet land of liberty", that treats all nations and ethnic groups equally.
What makes us rejoice even more is that, on the day of the Festival—the day we celebrate our heritage and customs—our children young and old, born on this land and in Poland, will partake in our celebration. For the children born here who have Polish roots, the distance from their ancestor's homeland is not an obstacle in learning about Polish culture.
The Festival will also feature invited guests-great artists from Poland.
May this Festival—a day so solemn for the whole Polish community—be not only a day of fun, recreation and unforgettable experiences, but also a chance to get to know each other better, to strengthen our unity, solidarity, mutual respect and understanding. May we establish an ever-growing ethnic group here in this United States of America. So help us God.
Maria Radzewicz
General Chairwoman of the Polish Heritage Festival 2002