The Polish media take center stage as the honorees for the 2013 Hamtramck’s Polish Day Parade, held on Labor Day, September 2, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the corner of Joseph Campau and Holbrook. Grand Marshal will be Keith Sadowski, Warren city councilman while Honorary Grand Marshal will be Stanley Krajewski, former editor in chief of the Polish Daily News.
At age 98, Krajewski’s distinguished career in newspaper work first spanned work in journalism in Poland. In the U.S., he continued to work as a reporter and staff writer for the “Polish Daily News,” and later as the paper’s managing editor and then editor in chief. He was active in a number of Polish and Polish American organizations, such as the Orchard Lake Schools, the latter for which he received the Fidelitas Medal in 1988, the highest award given by the Orchard Lake Schools.
Among the other Polish media recognized are Jurek Rozalski of the “Polish Varieties” a daily program broadcast over WNZK-690 AM Radio; Sebastian Szczepanski, editor of chief of the “Polish Times” newspaper; Dr. Alicja Karlic, editor in chief of “The Polish Weekly,” a Polish American magazine; and Rafal Nowakowski of Detroit Polish TV.com.
Hamtramck muralist Dennis Orlowski designs a float celebrating the parade theme with the help of the rest of the Polish Day Parade committee as he will with this year’s salute to Polish media.
With the Polish Day Parade, the Polish American Congress-Michigan Division, the sponsor, keeps alive a longtime tradition in its role as an umbrella organization for a number of Polish and Polish American groups. Headquarters for the organization is in Hamtramck.
The Hamtramck community joins in the parade with the Hamtramck Cosmos band and other bands, church groups, various Polish folk dance groups, the Hamtramck Historical Commission, veterans groups and service clubs, entertainment acts, just to name a few of the participants, along with groups from across Michigan. All are invited to join the festivities. The parade caps off the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival, a free weekend of entertainment.
For more information on the parade, call the parade chairman Judge John Chmura at (586) 574-4925. Interested individuals and groups are asked to preregister. More details and registration forms can also be found at the parade website at www.polishdayparade.com.
