XV Annual Festa sv. Vlaha 2006

04. veljače, 2006 .

U Los Angelesu održana 15. Festa sv. Vlaha

U Los Angelesu je 4. veljače održana 15. jubilarna Festa sv. Vlaha. Festanjuli su bili gospari George Jurica, poznati hrvatski biznismen podrijetlom s otoka Lastovo i Neven Jurica, hrvatski veleposlanik u Americi. U dvorani crkve Sv. Ante okupilo se više od pet stotina uzvanika proslaviti festu dubrovačkog parca. Program je započeo svetom misom i grličanjem koju su predvodili msgr. Janko Šegarić i msgr. Srećko Diomartić. Festa je nastavljena procesijom zastave sv. Vlaha uz festanjule i Upravni odbor organizatora - organizacije Libertas Foundation. Nakon pozdravnih govora festanjula, uslijedilo je sviranje hrvatske i američke himne, te himne sv. Vlaha, a mlada Ann Marie Boskovich očarala je publiku pjesmom God Bless America. Uz ambasadora Juricu, na festi su bili i počasni gosti iz Hrvatske: Luka Bebić, potpredsjednik Sabora koji je kraćim govorom pozdravio sve nazočne, te zastupnici u Saboru, Mario Zubović i Frano Matušić, generalni konzul RH u Los Angelesu Ante Barbir i osoblje konzulata. Nazočni su bili i bivši festanjuli iz Grada, gospar Ivo Deranja, Marina Gverović, gosp. i gđa. Marinović iz Konavala, Leonardo Laterza, vaterpolist i student na školovanju u Kaliforniji, i mnogi drugi, kao Connor Vlakancic, kandidat za senatora Sjedinjenih Država, Mario Martinoli, poznati gurman i televizijski voditelj.

Zabavni dio programa vodio je Mario Romanović iz Chicaga, bivši prvi tenor Klape Maestral, uz pratnju domaćeg orkestra Duo Adriatic.

Ana Bozic, (public relations office) pomoćnica vijećnice grada Los Angelesa za okrug San Pedro Janice Hahn uručila je priznanje i povelju za uspješno petnaestogodišnje djelovanje Libertas Fundationa koju je primio predsjednik Niko Hazdovac i zahvalio se svima na posjeti i potpori kroz sve ove godine.

Poznati arhitekt i slikar Tomislav Gabric darovao je nekoliko svojih slika čiji je prihod od aukcijske prodaje kao i sav drugi prihod feste dan u fond za stipendije učenika deficitarnih zanimanja na području Dubrovačko-neretvanske županije.

Na bogatoj lutriji glavne nagrade bile su: krstarenje za dvije osobe na brodovima Monet ili Andrea, dar tvrtke kap. Mata Stanovića, Elegant Cruises, te zrakoplovna karta Croatie Airlinesa i sedmodnevni boravak u hotelu u Dubrovniku, dar Adriatic Travela.

Folklorna grupa Croatia pri crkvi Sv. Ante (St. Anthony kolo group Croatia) pod vodstvom Katice Ban na zadovoljstvo nazočnih vrlo uspješno je otplesala Linđo.

Služila se izvrsna večera od liganja, gavuna, škampi, rižota i sabljarka koje su dobrovoljno pripremili poznati kuhari u Los Angelesu Pero i Ana Matijašević, Neven i Grozdana Zanki, Marijan Zorić, Kruno Zanki, Stella Klichan, Nina Hazdovac, Richard Jordan, Pave Bačan, uz pomoć mladih studentica koje su služile večeru. Oni već petnaest godina neumorno rade za dobrobit ove zajednice i Fundacije Libertas čiji cjelokupni prihod je namijenjen u humanitarne svrhe.

Iz doprinosa hrvatsko-američkih biznismena, političara i individualaca, izdana je prigodna knjižica i program u kojoj ima vrlo interesantnih detalja i članaka o radu Fundacije Libertas koja je za školsku godinu 2005./2006. dodijelila 12 stipendija od po tisuću dolara učenicima zanatskih škola u Dubrovačko-neretvanskoj županiji.

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February 04, 2006

PROGRAM

6:00 PM Holy Mass
6:30 PM Social Hour
7:30 PM Opening Ceremony
M.C. Dominic Vlasic
Procession of Sv. Vlaho Flag
Welcome by “Festanjuli” of 2006
Mr. George Jurica and
Mr. Neven Jurica

National Anthems
God Bless America by Ann Marie Boskovich
Invocation: Fr. John Segaric

8:00 PM Dinner

8:30 PM St. Anthony’s Kolo Group “Croatia”
Acknowledgement and Introduction
of Guests of Honor

9:00 PM Concert/Dance
MARIO ROMANOVIC
& DUO “ADRIATIC”

Raffle drawing after the first dance set

February 04, 2006

Dear friends and honored guests:

It is with great pleasure to welcome you all to the 15th annual Sv. Vlaho Festa. This year we consider to be a great milestone in our organization, which has grown to become something we are all very proud to be a part of. I would like to express gratitude to all of you that help keep our festa going strong, especially our hard working kitchen chefs and staff, sponsors and committee members for their support and dedication.

We would like to report that thanks to the support and generosity of our sponsors and volunteers we are able to continue to raise funds for the “Ante & Evelyn Mrgudic scholarship fund” from which we awarded 11 deserving students a $1,000 each for the year 2005/06 and 1 scholarship was awarded in the name of our late friend and “festanjul” Eugene Grgurevic. We thank Mrgudic and Grgurevic families and their friends for the donations in memory of their family members and great supporters of this organization.

We are proud to share with you our culture and be a part of the celebration of Sv. Vlaho - a tradition that is over a thousand years old. We hope that the Croatian-American youth of this community will become more involved and carry on the “Libertas” flag as a symbol of freedom, peace and democracy and pass it on to the future generations.
Please take a moment and go through this booklet and you will find several interesting articles about Croatia, its culture, history, events and people. Read the heartwarming article about our “Dubrovcanka” Klara and her family restaurant near New Orleans serving thousands of free meals to Katrina victims.
If you have a chance please patronize our Croatian-American businesses and thank our sponsors for their donations and support.

There are many exciting Croatian events in Southern California every year. Let us support each other and get involved with Croatian culture and programs available at St. Anthony’s and Croatian Cultural Center. As the great Pope John Paul II once said: “Never lose your trust, do not be defeated, do not be discouraged, do not cut yourselves off from the roots from which we had our origins.” We should all be very proud of our culture and contribution of the Croatian people to this great country and at the same time being there for Croatia during the most difficult times in the struggle for freedom and democracy.

In the last 15 years, we have come quite far and are proud of our achievements and hope to continue our humanitarian projects.
In 1991 we began with raising funds to buy the very first container of food for the Dubrovnik soup kitchen, which provided food and essentials to the needy people of Dubrovnik during the war.

Through the years needs changed and funds were placed toward medical equipment for hospitals and restoration of historical and religious sites. For the last few years, our board decided to offer scholarships to the young and needy students of trade schools in Dubrovnik-Neretva county, which we feel, is giving the tools they need to excel and build a better future for themselves and their country.

It is a pleasure to share another wonderful evening with all of you. Let us continue to do whatever we can for the better future of our old and new countries and its’ people.

In the name of Sv. Vlaho Committee, I sincerely thank every one of you present here tonight for your continued generosity and friendship.

Sincerely,

Niko Hazdovac, President
Libertas Foundation

STUDENTS
WHO RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2005

1. CAR, VLAHO
2. TOMIC, RUZICA
3. TEPSIC, MISO
4. VOJVODA, IVO
5. SILJEG, MARA
6. BARBIC, DANI
7. UJEVIC, TIN
8. PERKAK, IVICA
9. STRAZICIC, NIKOLA
10. MATANA, NIKOLA
11. PUHJERA, HRVOJE
12. IVAN ZEC

December 20, 2005

Dear Friends,

On February 4, 2006, another Gala Dinner/Fundraiser and celebration of Sveti Vlaho - St. Blaise, Patron Saint of Dubrovnik is coming to St.Anthony's Croatian Church and Center in Los Angeles.
Mark your calendar and reserve this evening for fabulous Croatian food, dancing, music and friendship.

To commemorate our 15th anniversary Libertas Foundation will publish a Program and Souvenir Book. We invite you and all Croatian-American businesses, organizations and their friends to help in our fundraising effort by placing an ad, greeting, letter, poem, recipe or anything that may be of interest.
In order to reserve space in our Souvenir Book, please call us or fill out the enclosed order form and fax it or mail it today or as soon as possible but no later then January 10,2006.

This event is a sell out every year -- we anticipate over 450 people from the Greater Los Angeles Area to attend our "festa", which has become one of the premiere events in the Croatian -American community of Southern California. The souvenir book will be distributed to all attendees and advertisers, giving you and your business tremendous exposure and recognition.

We are pleased to report that our scholarship fund, which awards financially challenged students money to attend local trade schools, awarded eleven (11) deserving students $1000 each in Dubrovnik this past September. Ten scholarships were given in the name of Ante & Evelyn Mrgudic and one was given in the name of our late friend and proud “festanjul” Eugene Grgurevic. We thank the Mrgudic and Grgurevic families and their friends for generous donation to the scholarship fund.
The names of this year scholarship recipients are: Vlaho Car, Ruzica Tomic, Miso Tepsic, Ivo Vojvoda, Mara Siljeg, Dani Barbic, Tin Ujevic, Ivica Perak, Nikola Strazicic, Nikola Matana and Hrvoje Puhjera.

Though we have all contributed generously for different humanitarian causes, we are continuing with these programs as long as there is need for it and ask for your help and support in any way to make these programs most beneficial to the needy people of Croatia.

We thank all of you that have helped in the past and hope you will continue to support our humanitarian projects. Since we are all volunteers, we can assure you that every dollar you donate will reach the people and charity of your choice.

The holidays are around the corner. At this time of joy and celebration let's remember our less fortunate brothers and sisters and share the joy of Christmas with them with a tax deductible donation.

Your generosity and continued support is greatly appreciated.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! SRETAN BOZIC I NOVA GODINA!

Niko Hazdovac
President

Gracio Fabris
Scholarship Fund

Vladimir Lonza
Treasurer

Libertas Foundation is a non-political, non-profit, humanitarian organization and all contribution are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.