HR0299 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0299 LRB102 18446 MST 26500 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the Copernicus Foundation, a cultural and civic center serving the Polish community as well as other ethnic groups; and

WHEREAS, The Copernicus Foundation was charted as a non-for-profit organization in July of 1971 to serve the metropolitan Chicago area as a major civic, educational, recreational, and entertainment resource; and

WHEREAS, The officers of the Copernicus Foundation are Chairman of the Board Hubert Cioromski, President Mario Mikoda, and Executive Director Kamila Sumelka; and

WHEREAS, The mission of the Copernicus Foundation is to preserve the Polish culture and historic heritage with pride; and

WHEREAS, The Copernicus Foundation allows patrons to glimpse life as it was lived by their ancestors and to connect to a timeless culture; and

WHEREAS, For the past 40 years, the Copernicus Foundation has sponsored the annual Taste of Polonia, Chicago's oldest and largest ethnic neighborhood festival; and

WHEREAS, The Copernicus Foundation is not only the home of several organizations and non-for-profits but also a civic partner of the Jefferson Park community; it is located on Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago's "Polish Corridor", and is the anchor of the city's Little Warsaw; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare July 12, 2021 as Copernicus Foundation Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Copernicus Foundation as a symbol of our respect and esteem.