YOUNGSTOWN — Everyone had different reasons for attending Sunday’s Polish Arts Club of Youngstown’s 84th annual Scholarship, Art, Music and Tea Reception at the Butler North annex, but all of them were immersed in Polish culture for the afternoon.

The event attracted approximately 60 people to the former church next to the Butler Institute of American Art. It was a fitting location for the celebration of music, art and academia.

Florence Swierz of North Lima said her parents, Anthony and Josephine Kryzan, were instrumental in starting the event in 1935. Neighbor Cee Varsho provided transportation.

“The Polish people have done a lot of good things and are very artistic. I come to the Butler as often as I can,” Varsho said.

Although the event actually started 89 years ago, this was the first one since the COVID-19 pandemic. Interim president Mary Ann Mlynarski explained that because of the interruption, this year’s awards were presented not to current students as is tradition, but to recent college graduates.

Cookies and other refreshments were served before and after the formal program, which opened with an invocation by the Rev. Joseph Rudjak, retired pastor of Holy Apostles Parish-SS. Peter and Paul Church in Youngstown. Rudjak grew up at the now-closed St. Casimir Parish in the Brier Hill area of the city, and speaks fluent Polish and Croatian, which are both in his family background.

He implored the attendees to “love one another, keep the faith, and keep a good sense of humor.”

This was followed by the recitation of a poem titled “Nothing Twice” written by Nobel Prize laureate Wislawa Szymborska. Eden Lesnansky of the Youngstown State University Slavic Students Association read the poem in English. It includes the line, “we arrive here improvised and leave without the chance to practice.” Stanley Gerchak read the same poem in the original Polish.

Scholarship awards were presented by Alexandria Copich. They went to James Beasley of Mississippi, a graduate of Texas A & M University; Ella Copich of Youngstown, a graduate of Case Western Reserve University; Alexandra Haluska of Youngstown, a graduate of YSU; and Emily Skinner of Cleveland, also a graduate of YSU.

All of the recipients have a parent, grandparent or other family member who is a Polish Arts Club member.

Skinner is working in Streetsboro as a dental hygienist. She said the scholarship is a big help as she is establishing her career. She said the Polish community has always been important to her and she has spent several years selling pierogi and kielbasa at the YSU Arts Festival.

The highlight of the program was a performance by violinist Wanda Sobieska and her father, pianist Jacek Sobieski. They performed selections by Fryderyk Chopin, Edmund Severn and Stanislaw Klejnas, as well as “Lyrical Interlude in C Major,” written by Sobieska.

Sobieska, of Kent, said she wasn’t planning to write a composition.

“I just started thinking of all the things I’m grateful for and the melody came into my head,” she said.

Sobieska said what characterizes Polish music more than anything else is “the message of hope” that comes through no matter what the present circumstances.

Tari Kopelos of Hubbard said the music was “fabulous. I got tears in my eyes.” Regarding the performance concluding with a polka she said, “There is nothing happier than a polka. They make everyone smile.”

Deborah Carney of Austintown loved the performance but added, “The first year I came for the music. Then I found out how good the cookies are.”

The Polish Arts Club was founded in 1935 and its mission has been to promote Polish culture, namely through the study of literature, music, drama and fine arts, according to its website.

The Polish Arts Club of Youngstown’s Scholarship Tea event is a reflection of the club’s “enduring mission to promote Polish culture while supporting the educational aspirations of young individuals. Through this event, the club not only honors its past but also looks forward to inspiring future generations. It’s a testament to the power of community, culture, and education coming together to create a meaningful and enriching experience for all,” its website states.