Events

It began in Vermont. Village Harmony goes Lithuanian

Village Harmony in Lithuania. Group leader, Will Thomas Rowan, is on the far left.

Village Harmony was founded by Larry Gordon in 1988. It began as a small ensemble of high school singers drawn from several central Vermont schools, rehearsing after school hours and touring the East Coast. In 1990 the first Village Harmony summer camp was held, establishing a model which has been …

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Baltic Issues Front and Center. Washington, D.C. Conference Highlights Current Concerns

From left: Jonas Vaičikonis, Vytas Aukštuolis, Neringa Liutikaitė, and Kerry Ashkenaze.

Lithuanian American Community Public Affairs representative Danele Vidutis submitted a report on the October 30th conference held at the Lithuanian Embassy, which was sponsored by the LAC Public Affaris Committee and the Lithuanian American Youth Association. The following is an edited version of her report. MEETING AT THE EMBASSY More than …

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Focusing on the Lithuanian American Hall of Fame

On August 24, 2013 Lithuanian-American legends, Dick Butkus, Ruta Lee and Johnny Unitas (represented by hs son John C. Unitas Jr) were the first inductees into the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the Lithuanian World Center in Lemont, IL. Among the guests were football great Doug Buffone and Hockey Hall of Fame member Bobby Hull. Pictured (from left) are the Lithuanian Consul General Marijus Gudynas, John C. Unitas Jr, Ruta Lee, Dick Butkus and the organizer of the event, Jon Platakis.

On October 14 the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame (NLAHF) will induct four illustrious Lithuanian Americans into its ranks: former President of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus; U.S. Senator Dick Durbin; founder of Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, Stanley Balzekas Jr.; and philanthropist, statesman, entrepreneur, Juozas Kazickas. The ceremonies together with a celebratory …

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DAINAVA – 60 Years and Going Strong

Dainavos muzikiniai užsiėmimai.

Aldas Kriaučiūnas. Within five hours of arriving at Camp Dainava, in Manchester, Mich., to mark the camp’s 60th birthday bash this past Labor Day weekend, I feasted on cold beet soup, joined in singing Lithuanian freedom fighters songs, and waided through thorns and thistles to reach the natural springs feeding …

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A cultural oasis in Manhattan

Alliance members.

Founded in 1886, the Lithuanian Alliance of America, (LAA) the oldest continuously operating Lithuanian organization in the world, has a new lease on life as it expands its multifaceted activities promoting Lithuanian educational and heritage programs. Organized as a fraternal insurance organization, it had over 20,000 members and 300 lodges …

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President Dalia Grybauskaitė: “Europe Needs to Become Stronger Now”

Nuclear Security Summit.

Rosseta Vingevičiūtė-Wilbur. (Special for “Draugas” from Washington, DC) On March 30, Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė arrived in Washinton, DC, to attend the Nuclear Security Summit. Invited by President Barack Obama, she and some 50 other world leaders discussed nuclear security, shadowed by concern that Islamic State terrorists are seeking to penetrate …

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IT’S A MIRACLE! Holy Doors Opened at Lithuanian Parish

Parish priests await to begin the Holy Door ceremonies at Immaculate Conception Church in Chicago's Brighton Park.

Viktoras Kelmelis. Pope Francis has declared 2016 to be the Year of Divine Mercy. On Holy Thursday, Bishop Alberto Rojas announced that Brighton Park’s Immaculate Conception church ( 2745 W. 44th Street, Chicago, IL) was chosen to be an official Year of Divine Mercy Shrine. Immaculate Conception Parish was founded …

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Parade in Chicago during Thanksgiving

Lithuanian Folk Dance Group suktinis marched and danced in Chicago’s McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 26. They were joined by Lithuanian Grandpa and Grandma— giant puppets created by local artist ugnė Carm. Leading the group were flag bearers Lithuania’s General Consul in Chicago Marijus Gudynas and the Consulate’s Director …

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A Song Festival to Be Long-Remembered

by Rimas Cernius with photos by Jonas Kuprys and Arvydas Zabulionis Lithuanian song festivals in North America are special and rare events. The first one took place in Chicago’s Coliseum in 1956. This year the 10th Lithuanian Song Festival took place at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on July 5th. …

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AN INTERVIEW WITH THE OUTGOING AMBASSADOR OF LITHUANIA TO THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO-ŽYGIMANTAS PAVILIONIS

By Dr. Stasys Bačkaitis. Dr. Stasys Bačkaitis: Your excellency, on behalf of my fellow Lithuanian-Americans, I would like to express our gratitude for the outstanding representation of Lithuania’s interests over the course your term as Ambassador, especially during this time of political turmoil. Please share something about your background and why …

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