Category: Current

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The Grand Piano Is In! Thank You!

The grand piano in memory of Barbara Strutynski has been purchased! On behalf of the Seattle Polish Foundation and the Polish Home Association I would like to express our deepest gratitude to all people whose generosity made it possible. I have never seen such a swift, widespread, and generous support

UW Courses Accessible to the Public in Winter

The winter quarter at the University of Washington brings again courses that can draw people interested in Polish language and culture. As usual, seniors 60+ can register to listen to these courses for a token fee (in range of $10) through the UW Access Program. Notable courses include: More: Registration for the

GoFundMe Page for the Mroz Family

Friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help the Mroz family with the medical and funeral bills. Please contribute to this fund if you can. Andre Mroz fell ill early November and ended up in the ICU fighting for his life. Andre lost his fight on November 19,2022. The

Andrzej Mroz Has Died

Andrzej Mroz, the former Solidarity leader, local community activist and one of the most recognizable members of the Polish community died on November 19, 2022, due to complications after a cardiac arrest. He was 67. Andrzej Antoni Mróz was born on June 21,1955 in Bliszczyce in Silesia, Poland. He obtained

Best Movie of the Seattle Polish Film Festival

The Seattle Polish Film Festival announced viewers’ choice award for the best movie of the festival. The Seattle Spirit of Polish Cinema Award goes to the following movie: The runners up with the same number of votes were For the best documentary, a Certificate of Recognition went to Congratulations! More:

Final Push for the Grand Piano Fundraiser

Dear Members and Friends of the Polish Community, Thank you for your incredible support for the grand piano fundraiser in memory of Barbara Strutynski! We have received about $42,000 in donations, which is more than we expected, and donations are still coming in! We appreciate that very much as it makes it

Ryszard and Maria Kott Recognized as 2022 UW Laureates

At the annual Recognition Gala at the University of Washington on September 16, Ryszard Kott and late Maria Kott have been recognized among the 2022 UW Laureates for their contributions over the years to the Polish Studies program at the UW Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. The Slavic Department is currently

Barbara Strutynski Has Died

Barbara Strutynski, an outstanding longtime member of our Polish community died on August 24, 2022, in her home with her family by her side. She was almost 86. Known to everybody as “Pani Basia”, Barbara was a community pilar, active since the early 1960s untill the pandemic. During this time,

Polish Movies on the “35mm.online” Streaming Platform

The Polish public movie producer, Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych (WFDiF), created a movie streaming platform “35mm.online” presenting Polish cinematography. About 4000 fully digitalized and restored movies are now available for viewing. The platform is available on the web, as a mobile application and as a smart TV application. The

Polish Cultural Center Closed Till September

The restaurant and the bar at the Polish Cultural Center have closed for the summer. The summer break this year will last two months, through July and August. Both the restaurant and the bar should reopen as usual on the first Friday after Labor Day, that is on September 9,

Polish Summer Courses in Seattle

This is your chance to attend a course of Polish during the summer Polish School at the Polish Cultural Center The school offers separate courses in Polish for children and adults in July and August. Classes are at weekly meetings that are 2 hours each, price is $100 a month.

Maria Kott Endowed Professorship of Polish Studies

The University of Washington has established the Maria Kott Endowed Professorship of Polish Studies at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. This is the first endowed professorship of Polish Studies on the West Coast of the United States and is in perpetuity, which assures that the Polish language and

James Hicker Has Died

James Allen Hicker, one of the pillars of the Polish community of Tacoma, has passed away peacefully on December 1, 2021, after a short illness. He was 88. James was born on May 3, 1933, in Tacoma.  He attended Lincoln High School and graduated from the University of Puget Sound

Polish Consul Decorates Local Polish-Americans

On October 16, 2021, Jarosław Łasiński, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, honored local Polish-Americans with the following medals: Bogdan Smyczynski of Tacoma and Józef Eugeniusz Kucharczyk of Auburn each has received The Cross of Freedom and Solidarity, awarded to the former Solidarity activists by the

Kaysy Ostrom Directs a Play in Kirkland

Kaysy Ostrom has directed a play I Never Saw Another Butterfly, performing live at the main stage of the Studio East theatre in Kirkland, from October 8 to 17, 2021. Kaysy is a granddaughter of Krystyna Balut, who was a child survivor of the brutal WWII deportations of Poles by

Marion Ossowski Has Died

Marion Jan “Marian” Ossowski, a longtime member of the Polish community, died on September 13, 2021 after battling COVID-19 for several weeks. He was 70. Regretfully, Marion was not vaccinated; his wife Alicja, who survived COVID-19 and recovered, urges everyone to get vaccinated. Born in Szczecin in 1951 and trained