Fifteenth Annual
Mahoning Valley Slovak Fest

August 9, 2020


Thank You!

Last Sunday’s Slovak Fest came together very well and we enjoyed great success even with necessary social distancing. As we planned this year’s Fest, we depended very much on creative responses to the challenges we were facing. While adjustments are seldom easy, we rose to the occasion well and I am most grateful to all whose cooperation allowed this to happen.

Much Fest work took place “behind the scenes” this year. Instead of bringing together large groups for necessary tasks, we empowered smaller groups to get the jobs done. Special thanks to our Holubky Teams who made stuffed cabbage in their homes. They include JoAnn Maxgay and Mary Ann Baranyi, Marge Jerek and Flora Schneider, Lisa Klingensmith and Mary Ann Shaffer, Lorrie and Joe Nelson, and Scott Brand and Travis Seagraves.

Our Basket Raffle team spent many hours preparing, sorting and arranging dozens of baskets. These folks include Denise Babik, Stephen Babik, Jerry Yablonkai, Melanie Leonard, Patty Yank,  Paulette Smith and Margie Ferenchak. JoAnn Maxgay and Mary Ann Baranyi recorded the money raffle returns and assisted MaryAnn Dulay in totaling the proceeds.  Loretta Ekoniak spent many hours preparing the Slovak Fest booklet and soliciting donors and corporate sponsors. Our parish printer, Joe Locketti helped us with signs and our raffle and food tickets.

The Our Lady of Sorrows Infant of Prague Guild did a fine job bringing together a wonderful assortment of baked goods and Our Lady of Sorrows Seniors kept us from being thirsty. Our Holy Name Society prepared a fine pulled pork sandwich meal with Bob Babnic and Mike Ekoniak manning the smoker for hours before the Fest.

We managed to maintain our tradition of offering an Amazing Basket Raffle. Thanks to the following parishioners and groups who donated baskets:  Carol Gonda, Duchess and Bob Spitler, Jerry Yablonkai, Denise Babik, Father John Jerek, Laura Mulligan, Bishop George Murry, Carla and Phillip Centofanti-Davanzo, Fred and Faith Gallo, Patty and Joe Yank, Lorrie and Joe Nelson, Doreen Burin, Flo Bolchalk, Loretta Smith, Lisa and Jim Klingensmith, Paulette Smith, Susanne Jones, Mary Ann Shaffer, Carole  Krispinsky, Monica Baytos, Pauline Kenny, FCSLA 161, Infant of Prague Guild, Melanie Leonard, Mary Lou Hessman and Pauline Pellegrini, Mary Beth Neff, Jim Jerek, JoAnn Maxgay, Mary Ann Baranyi, Jan and Mike Steinmaus, Patty Gordulic, Mary Ann Dulay, George and Joyce Jonda, Sokols Wreath 54, St. Matthias Holy Name Society, Helen and Del Sinchak, Flora and James Schneider, Superior Beverage, Mary Ann Hoffman, Paulette Smith, Mary Beth Gonda, Pat Guidos, Jim and Marilyn Mickholtzick, OLOS Quilters, Glen Kramer, Adele Glista, Diane Balog, and Angela Thomas.

A number of our parishioners did much kitchen preparation on Friday and Saturday to allow Sunday’s dinners to be served smoothly and helped with set-up. This crew peeled cucumbers, made haluski dumplings, packaged coleslaw, prepared the kelibasa and sauerkraut and set up tables. Thank you to Lorrie Nelson, Pat Thomas, Lisa Klingensmith, Mary Ann Shaffer, Val Wells, Lora Latessa and Karie Seacrist, Monica Baytos, Diane Balog, Samantha Balog, Phillip Centofanti-Davanzo, Father Simon Mino, Jo Ann Maxgay, Mary Ann Baranyi, Mary Ann Krispinsky, Loretta Smith, Suzanne Jones and Joyce Jonda.

Sunday’s crew of kitchen help, serving crew and set-up/clean-up did a fantastic job. They include Lorrie Nelson, Chris Orlando, David and Camila Klacik, Marty and Julie Oravec, Monica Baytos, Angela Thomas, Phillip Centofanti-Davanzo, Tommy Hassay, Amanda Yaegar, Jim Jerek, Mike Ekoniak, Jim Chizmar, Mark Dolak, Jeff Jerek, Gary Scurti, Laura Mulligan, Sandy Anderson, Diane Balog, Bryan Partika, Lora Latessa, and Karie Seacrist.

We also express our appreciation to our Slovak-American brothers and sisters from St. John the Baptist Church in Campbell who lent us their marvelous kitchen to prepare haluski, kielbasa and cucumbers.

Thank you to all who bought and sold raffle tickets to make our annual Fest Raffle a great success. Thanks to our Father Simon Mino for presiding at our Slovak-English Mass.

My deepest gratitude goes to three persons whose daily behind-the-scenes work has contributed to our 2020 Fest’s success. Our seminarians, Scott Brand and Travis Seagraves, worked long and hard in all kinds of ways to be there for us. They are remarkable men who will one day be great priests. MaryAnn Dulay, our office manager and my administrative assistant, did a fantastic job of receiving our ticket and booklet returns, managing our volunteers and doing whatever needed to be done to insure success. Thank you, MaryAnn!

Future Slovak Fests will take place on our parish grounds. We now turn our attention to getting our parish hall done by next year’s Fest. Congratulations to all who made our Fest the most successful parish festival in the Valley this summer. I continue to be amazed by the cooperative spirit of this wonderful parish. God bless you!


                                                                                          Father John Jerek