Last Thursday I took a call from Lajkonik’s President, Bozena Pagin. HELP!!! She had received a call from Irmina Sulkowska, Manager of the Polish Welfare Bureau in Ashfield. A concert had been planned for the patients of Greenacre Nursing Home for Polish Constitution Day, but the group which was supposed to perform couldn’t do it. (Greenacre Nursing Home is the main nursing home for Poles in the Bankstown region).

How can we disappoint the patients on such a special day?

I know Lajkonik gets a lot of space in Puls Polonii for various events, but on this occasion I feel its really important to tell you, all Puls Polonii readers, what happened. Whilst other young people are out in clubs and pubs, at parties, on Friday night, Lajkonik Senior Group is training. With ONLY ONE DAY’S NOTICE, the call went out to Lajkonik mlodziez that they were REALLY needed and they answered that call gallantly. They rehearsed on Friday night and fronted up at 10am on Saturday morning with all their costumes at Greenacre Nursing Home so as not to disappoint the Polish patients and in fact all the patients who were expecting a special concert for Polish Constitution Day.

They performed the Kosciuszko Polonez in C Major and the White Mazurka (Bialy Mazur). They then changed into Rzeszow costumes and performed a suite of regional songs and dances from Rzeszow.

The photos say it all!

I would like to thank Marzena Chorobski, Ania Fraczek, Basia Gadd, Joasia Krol, Robert Mitas, Robert Karzelek, Matthew Iglinski and David Chorobski, and Daniel Gadd who rehearsed them, for your time and effort in responding to my request to do this very important performance with only one day’s warning. Your performance was wonderful, and from feedback I received, is genuinely valued by the Polish Community.

PS. If only we could just meet the criteria of Fundusz Wieczysty?

Ursula Lang

Photo & collage Henry Iglinski