HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY 2003

Our Annual Hungarian Heritage Day took place on Sunday, June 1, 2003 at St. Margaret Catholic Hall. A record number of honorees, fifty-eight in all, attended this event! The ceremony began when all those present were welcomed by AHSCA president, Jim King. Suzie Green then sang the Star-Spangled Banner, which was immediately followed by everyone singing A Magyar Himnusz (the Hungarian National Anthem). Reverend Dr. Stephen Sanders did the invocation and the AHSCA dancers, led by Sue Martin, entertained the crowd with ethnic-style dancing. This portion of the program began with a Hungarian men’s dance called the Gencsy  Verbunk, which was performed by Mike Erdey, Marty Farkas, Adam Green, and Thomas Mocsary. Suzie Green and Vicky Mocsary then sang two Hungarian songs called, Megismerni a Kanast and Eg a Varos. A second Hungarian dance, a circle dance for men and women, called the Olahos, highlighted dancers that included Tanya King and Nicole Smith. Following the dancing, everyone joined in for a Hungarian sing-a-long led by Vicky Mocsary. To commemorate this occasion, each honoree (those of Hungarian descent, ages 75 and older) were recognized and given a certificate from the AHSCA. Our own president, Jim King, was among the honorees at this event! The honorees then lined up for a group photograph to be taken. Each honoree will receive a copy of this photo as a memento. Another highlight of the afternoon was when door prizes were handed out. Ethel Filczer Hoover, who is 94 years old, received a beautiful floral centerpiece for being the oldest honoree present at this event. Stephen King from Kempner, Texas, received a door prize for the honoree who came the farthest to attend the Heritage Day Celebration! The crowd received a special treat at the conclusion of the program when the Daisy Girl Scouts, Troop 421, sang The Grand Old Flag. Rev. Dr. Stephens Sanders then blessed the food and all those present joined in to taste the goodies that were displayed on the food table. Among the delicious treats were some Hungarian pastries, such as kiflis and kalacs.

The Heritage Day Committee, Kathleen Green, Vicky Mocsary, Julia Ourso, and Margaret Resetar, would like to thank all those people who helped make this event possible! Many, many thanks goes to all of the people who donated food or helped in various other ways at this event. This could not be done without all of you!

PHOTO OF THE HONOREES FROM THE 2003 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION: