SR0272 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0272 LRB102 18310 MST 26049 r

SENATE 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 SENATE 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.