The National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCACF) celebrated its 30^th anniversary on June 3^rd in Washington, D.C. As a national umbrella organization, the NFCACF was founded in Chicago in September 1993.  The NFCACF continues to be a strong advocate for the Croatian American community, especially in American politics and diplomacy, thanks to the charter that was ratified by twenty Croatian American groups. Over the last decade, the organization has undertaken many innovative cultural and educational projects of great interest to the community.

The Assembly of Delegates of the NFCACF met this time with 28 delegates from a dozen Croatian American organizations to discuss a wide range of issues. Initiatives, such as the Congressional Croatian Caucus, the NFCACF-Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU), Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame (CAS-HOF), the new Youth Committee, the Art Donation Committee, and the History Speaker Series were a few of the major topics discussed. At the delegate's meeting, the following Executive Committee officers were elected: Steve Rukavina-President, Biljana Lovrinovic-Abel, Executive Vice President, and three Vice Presidents: John Kraljic, Mario Spalatin, and Ron Zivic. National Treasurer Adam Radman was re-elected as the National Treasurer, and also, were Anna Maria Sicenica-Secretary and Mark Plavetic-Assistant Secretary, and with Officers-At-Large Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras and Carolyn Bruno.  There were seventeen Board Members elected too on Saturday.

As a result of his incredible dedication to the NFCACF since its founding in 1993, Dr. Joseph Cindrich received the first ever "NFCACF Legacy Award." The award was given to Dr. Cindrich for his service as former NFCACF president in 1998 and six-term member of the board. Unfortunately, Dr. Joseph Cindrich was unable to attend the event in person, but upon receiving the news at his home in Menlo Park, CA, he expressed his gratitude, stating, "As a dedicated Croatian, I was very proud in being co-founder the establishment of National Federation of Croatian Americans in the 1990s and later served as its President." Dr. Cindrich was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 for his assistance to the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and for all his Croatian activism, including his many years on the Board of Directors of the Croatian Scholarship Fund (CA). NFCACF president, Steve Rukavina, expressed his group's intention to annually recognize and pay tribute to Croatian American activists who played a crucial role in the establishment of our national umbrella organization. 

The NFCACF Anne Pavlich "Volunteer of the Year" award was presented to Joe Brajevich (San Pedro CA) for his contribution to the NFCACF Special Olympics Committee. The amount of funds raised by him set a record for Croatia's Special Olympics organization and were used to fully sponsor Croatia's twenty-member delegation at the Summer World Games in Berlin, Germany, which begins on June 17th with 7,500 athletes from 140 countries.

A public session was held in the afternoon featuring the Croatian Ambassador Pjer Simunovic (US-Croatian Alliance), as well as Professor Edward P. Joseph of Johns Hopkins-SAIS (Southeast Europe regional issues); Sherry Ricchiardi (War Journalism/Croatia 1991), Richard Lolich (Croatian American Sports HOF and its inaugural ceremony in Cleveland in October 2022), Joe Foley (Washington Report-Congressional Croatian Caucus), and Steve Rukavina, NFCACF President ("40 Highlights Over 30 Years").

In celebration of this milestone anniversary, the NFCACF held a reception at the Croatian Embassy on Saturday night. The Cosmopolitan Grill catered the meal for the sixty guests, while Croatian Premium Wines provided Croatian wines, including Malvazija and Plavac Mali. Speakers at the evening reception included Michael Sawkiw from the Ukrainian Congress of America, and Pulitzer Prize winner Roy Gutman (author of A Witness to Genocide). During the Embassy reception, Maya Brlecic, an internationally acclaimed pianist from Zagreb, played to fill the air with celebration music while Croatian wine smiles flourished.

Photos: NFCACF & Sanja Bogovic

June 4, 2023 - Zadar is the Croatian basketball champion for the fourth time in the club's history after defeating Split in three games in the finals. 

On Sunday, after two away victories, Zadar celebrated at home, at the "Krešimir Ćosić" hall. Without any drama, Zadar convincingly won 99-62 (27-17, 24-9, 18-10, 30-26), leaving Split without a chance at the championship title.

This was the eighth final Split has lost. However, Zadar still holds the record in this area, losing the finals twelve times in the club's history. Cibona still holds the record in Croatia with 20 championship titles, while Cedevita Zagreb has won the title five times. 

This season's final series was a replay of the finals two years ago when Zadar and Split met. Zadar was also better then. 

Sunday's game was already decided after the first half. Zadar won the first quarter 27-17, and then further increased their advantage and went to halftime leading 51-26. There was no coming back for the Split team. In the third quarter, Zadar was ahead by more than 30 points, and in the last quarter, they were up by 40. 

Luka Božić was Zadar's hero, recording a triple-double performance with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. He also had three steals. Dario Drežnjak scored 19 points, Arijan Lakić added 13 with five rebounds, and Marko Ramljak 10 points and five rebounds.

Tonko Vuko was the best for Split with 11 points, and Boris Tišma scored eight with six rebounds and three assists.

Source: HRT 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

May 31, 2023 - After years of isolation before the Peljesac Bridge, some Mayor Frankovic provides an update on the Dubrovnik motorway.

Last year, the opening of the Peljesac Bridge, this year more good news for connectivity to and from Dubrovnik. 

"The government has decided: We are going to complete the highway network, the branch to Dubrovnik will be built," writes the mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, on his FB profile.

"After a decade of lack of traffic connectivity, thanks to Andrej Plenković and his Government, the south of Croatia is experiencing a traffic renaissance. With the construction of the Pelješki Bridge and the expressway across Pelješac, a huge step forward was made in traffic connectivity, and now, with the Government's decision, we are going even further. Finally, after so many years of waiting, the highway construction project to Dubrovnik begins. This is great news for all of us in the south of Croatia, the highway will bring us greater prosperity, safety in traffic, faster connections with the whole of Croatia, which will enable the further development of various economic branches with the aim of reducing the influence of the economic monoculture of tourism. This news came only a day before the day of statehood, and it could not have been a better congratulation from the Government of the Republic of Croatia than this one." - wrote Franković.

Agreements have been reached with 10 Croatian banks for refinancing and new loans, which will make 1.35 billion euro available to connect Metković to Dubrovnik, as well as Križišće to Žuta Lokva.

May 31, 2023 - Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic handed the director of civil protection Damir Trut a decision on the allocation of funds for the purchase of two firefighting aircraft (Canadair) for Croatia's participation in rescEU capacities for aerial firefighting.

As Index / HRT write, the ceremony was held to mark the tenth anniversary of establishing the Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) and the beginning of preparations for the new firefighting season. Croatia is one of the six countries that will each acquire two firefighting aircraft with a total value of 104 million euros.

Croatian civil protection cooperates with ERCC

The goal is to strengthen national and EU capacities and the ability to extinguish fires in open spaces. The ERCC is an operational segment of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which continuously monitors events around the world and coordinates the efforts of the European Union in responding to disasters.

The Civil Protection Operations Center of the Directorate of Civil Protection is in continuous contact with the ERCC. They work together to collect, analyze, process and distribute data, especially in providing or receiving international emergency aid in cases of disasters.

Croatia should receive the planes in 2028.

In addition to Croatia, five other Mediterranean countries are included in the project: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Each country will receive two aircraft as part of this project. Since Greece and Spain are buying five more aircraft from their budgets, the total order will be 22 aircraft.

According to the existing delivery plan, Croatia should receive two new aircraft in 2028. This year, too, Croatia will participate in rescEU capacities with two of its Canadair aircraft, thus contributing to the strengthening of the ability to extinguish fires in open spaces. Operational costs for aircraft use are co-financed by the EC in the amount of EUR 1,800,000.00.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

May 31, 2023 - The prize from one of the most prestigious competitions in design and advertising, the British D&AD, is in the hands of the Croatian design Studio Tumpic/Prenc. These creatives won the Wood Pencil in the Packaging design category for the design of the olive oil bottle "Istriana" for their client E Pluribus Unum.

As Poslovni writes, D&AD, short for Design and Art Direction, is a British organisation founded in 1962 to promote excellence in design and advertising. Every year it raises the bar of quality in this industry, and it does so with the annual competition, i.e., the D&AD Pencils awards, which are known for the most outstanding creative achievement in the profession.

At this year's edition of this iconic competition, over 300 members of the jury, all leaders of the creative sector chose the winners from as many as 12,243 submitted works from 77 countries around the world, and the Croatian design Studio Tumpic/Prenc is the only representative from Croatia, as well as the region. The Wood Pencil Award declares the "Istriana" project one of the best works of the year in its category, and as such, it becomes an example of creative excellence for future generations who will look to D&AD for their inspiration.

The design of these creatives, which has earned its place among the best of the best, emphasises the connection with the past. Namely, Istrian olive oil was mentioned as a synonym of quality as early as the time of the Roman Empire, but with its disintegration, Istria no longer enjoyed the reputation it had in the Roman period. However, due to its natural prerequisites for the creation of superior olive oil, in the 90s, it gradually regained its status as one of the world's best regions for olive growing.

It could be said that finding fragments of forgotten knowledge gives life to modern olive growing. The bottle also shows the reconstruction of various fragments of the amphora reassembled into a meaningful whole. In addition, once placed in the box, the bottle represents the heart of a specific shape of a Roman amphora from the Istrian area, where olive oil was stored and transported. Also, the orange tone of the terracotta, specially mixed for use on the packaging, contains a percentage of actual Istrian soil.

Upon realising this project, the Studio collaborated with the Italian companies Wine & Industrial Packaging and Tipografia Crivellari 1918. The creative minds behind this winning idea were awarded as part of the D&AD Festival that took place at the end of last week in London, and on this occasion, they declare:

"D&AD is one of the most respected festivals in the industry, so to be recognised next to the big brands present at it, such as Nike, KFC, Mars, Calvin Klein, Google, Burger King, NFL and other Wood Pencil winners, it is certainly a great honour, all the more so because it is a product whose role from the beginning was to promote Istria, i.e. Croatia, with its design and name. This is another way to achieve his goal", concluded the Croatian design Studio Tumpic/Prenc.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

May 30, 2023 - 19-year-old Hajduk player Niko Sigur has chosen to represent Croatia. The young footballer is on Dragan Skočić's preliminary list for the U-21 European Championship.

Niko Kristian Sigur was born in Canada, where he grew up and played football until the beginning of 2022. He then moved to NK Radomlje, a partner club of Hajduk, and then to the Hajduk Academy. This spring, he played for the first team as the right back and can also be a defensive midfielder.

Due to his dual citizenship, Sigur could have played for the national teams of Croatia or Canada. After speaking with the technical director of the A and U-21 national team, Stipe Pletikosa, Sigur and his family decided he would represent Croatia.

"Croatia is my family's homeland, so I want to wear that beautiful Croatian jersey in the future. I appreciate and love Canada, where I lived and grew up playing football, but I feel that this is the right and best decision. I thank the Croatian Football Federation for expressing the desire to have me play for Croatia and Hajduk for the opportunity to help me develop as a football player in Croatia. And also to my family for the great support I feel every day. I am looking forward to representing Croatia, a true world football superpower," said Sigur.

"Of course, we are thrilled with the decision of Niko Sigur and his family, and we welcome him to the Croatian football family. In a short time, he has shown high quality; he plays very disciplined and maturely, with technical quality, which, in addition to his physical characteristics, makes him serious national team potential. Through pleasant conversation with Niko and his family, I was convinced that he is a responsible, mature and ambitious young man who is determined to become a top footballer and with a great desire to approach playing for the Croatia national team," stated the technical director of the A and U-21 national team, Stipe Pletikosa.

Source: HNS

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

May 30, 2023 - Dolphins are a regular and welcome sight in Croatia's Adriatic Sea, especially when they dance to the world-famous Zadar Sea Organ.

A nice surprise for visiting tourist Alejandro yesterday morning, which he kindly shared with the TCN inbox. And proof that Croatia in the early morning can be truly magical. 

Standing by the famous Zadar Sea Organ to capture sunrise and the start to another day in Paradise, Alejandro was joined by the tunes emitted from the sea organ by two dolphins, who put on a show for him and his capture. Alejandro put the footage on YouTube and invited us to share. 

A great start to the day. 

If you are on a boat trip on the Adriatic this summer, do look out for the playful dolphins. I have lost count of the number I saw playing with tourist boats on the short ride from Jelsa on Hvar to Bol on Brac, for example. 

May 31, 2023 - Zadar Burger Festival is starting this weekend! From June 2 to June 11, King Petar Krešimir IV Coast will be the stage of the most popular burger festival in the region, organized by the creative agency Kokoš ili Jaje, a team of passionate gourmets and event masters who, among other things, created Fuliranje and the Burger Festival in Zagreb.

As Antena Zadar writes, this is the most relevant and most visited regional street food festival, annually welcoming about 150,000 visitors who eat more than 40,000 burgers and drink 15,000 liters of beer over the 11 days. In the six years it has taken place, this Burger Festival has greatly contributed to the development of the burger scene, significantly raised the quality standard of burgers throughout Croatia, inspired the local and national street food scene, and encouraged other cities to start Burger Festivals.

"Our goal is to bring the success of the Zagreb Burger Festival to Zadar and create new gastronomic content for the city with the most beautiful sunset," said the organizers, who arrive in Zadar with a carefully selected team of chefs, cocktail masters and DJs.

Zadar Burger Festival

At the Zadar Burger Festival, visitors will find ten booths, and seven gastronomic wizards will present themselves with their delicacies created specifically for the Festival.

In addition to Institut za Burgere by Mate Janković and Chefs Burgera by Ivan Pažanin, which we are sure will delight visitors and inspire the local street food scene, Full Circle by Marko Palfi is also coming to Zadar, presenting four burgers: its well-known classic - Smokey D, Decadent, Mediterranean, and Veggie Beyond burger. The genius 4 Burgers will also be there - their smash burgers are unique in the way they are made: balls of ground beef are formed, and then, as soon as they reach the grill, they are pressed or broken into a thin patty with a burger press. This creates additional browning and flavour while retaining the juiciness of the patty. There will be four types of these burgers: Original, Bacon, Smoke Jalapeno and Chicken.

All fans of somewhat different flavours and ingredients based on plant products will be happy to hear that Beg's Plant Based will also be at the Zadar Burger Festival, presenting his burgers made exclusively from plant ingredients. After delighting the visitors of Fuliranje with his specialities such as Sarmica, Beg's Cheeseburger, Beg's Santa Balls, chilli and Mac&Cheese, he will present four burgers at the Zadar Burger Festival, and everyone is invited to taste them, whether you are a vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or die-hard meat lover.

The colours of the host city at the Festival will be represented by the unsurpassed street food start-up from Zadar and the geniuses from Picnic Mingle & Fun. They are the best debutantes and winners of two awards at Zagreb Burger Festival 2022, and with their cheerful spirit, they won the hearts of many street foodies throughout Croatia—Picnic Mingle & Fun rides in its "silver beast on wheels" and its great mood. Their equally great burgers and delicious cocktails attract attention wherever they appear. In Zadar, they will present four extraordinary burgers: Blackie Burger, Prawn Burger, Juicy Burger and Snow Burger, along with their sweet potato fries.

Zadar Burger Festival FB

The local scene will also be represented by the team from Burgers & More with their outstanding burgers, which are already well known to all Zadar residents and those who visit Zadar. Burgers & More will present five delicacies at the Zadar Burger Festival: Deluxe Bacon Burger, Truffle Burger, Rock'n'roll Burger, Italian Burger, and New York Style Burger.

Great burgers pair well with ice-cold Staropramen beer and premium signature cocktails, which all visitors can enjoy at the Central Bar, Gingle Bells and Picnic Craft Cocktails houses.

A carefully designed music program and a great atmosphere are rooted in the DNA of all festivals this creative team organises. Top DJs, musicians, competitions and performances form the creative and attractive backdrop of the Burger Festival. With the support of the Tourist Board of the City of Zadar, we are sure that the Zadar Burger Festival, with its urban music program, modern and contemporary decoration, and above all, positive energy, will give the city of Zadar another quality product that domestic and foreign tourists, as well as the local population, will approve of with a full stomach and take away many good memories with the desire to meet again. So see you at the Zadar Riva from June 2-11 – everybody loves burgers!

You can find out more on the Burger Festival's social networks.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

May the 30th, 2023 - The Croatian brand Wise Grus has gone from strength to strength, leaving the world of relative obscurity to becoming extremely well known in international circles and for all sorts of different occasions.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian brand Wise Grus is consumed as part of all sorts of celebrations, important anniversaries are celebrated with it, and both kisses and tears are shed with it. Those flavours stay in the memory for a long time, according to brandy and rakija lovers.

While lovers of a drop or two of strong alcohol say that, confirmation of it certainly comes in the form of the same being said by the jury of the world's most prestigious competition for spirits, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which recently awarded double gold and silver to the Croatian brand Wise Grus' Lozovaca Barique and the much loved Sljivovica. This competition is otherwise considered the most important in the spirits category, it has been being held for 23 years now, and the evaluation criteria are extremely stringent and high.

All of the above would not be unusual if it were not for the fact that this small Daruvar distillery's products won two gold medals in Frankfurt for its Dunjevac and Lozovac shortly after entering the market. It wouldn't be strange either if it hadn't earned recognition for being the best Croatian distillery presented in Frankfurt so soon after emerging. After only eight months of presence on the market, the distillery's shelves already boast a total of six awards, double gold in San Francisco and one silver, an award in Zagreb and two awards in Frankfurt.

Although it is a debut distillery, it has actually entered higher society with great strides. There are many plans for this new Croatian brand, and they're not even aware of the importance of these prestigious awards because the team working there simply does what it loves. Where they will end up in the future remains to be seen, but judging by the "fiery" start they've enjoyed, there are still many challenges and a lot of recognition ahead of them.

They believe that their success will encourage other brandy producers in the Republic of Croatia to make every effort to activate the thriving domestic spirits market and become recognisable both in Europe and indeed in other countries around the world.

For more, check out our business section.

May the 30th, 2023 - The very first Croatian Infobip Shift conference across the pond in the US city of Miami has ended in success. This utterly remarkable domestic company has taken not only Croatia and the immediate region by storm, but the rest of the continent as well. It seems the United States of America is its next conquest for recognition.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the first Croatian Infobip Shift conference programme to take to US shores was opened by the talented and ever-innovative Silvio Kutic, the co-founder and executive director of Infobip.

The American Shift conference hosted an extremely diverse developer audience, and speakers from some of today's most prominent technology companies, as well as many of Infobip's North American partners. All of those involved in the organisation of the conference have confirmed a return to the US next year as well.

"The Croatian Infobip Shift conference here in Miami represents a significant step forward for Infobip on the American market, which is very important for us. Holding the conference on two continents in one year and the level of expressed interest from the audience have well and truly confirmed to us that the developer community recognises the quality of the conference", said Silvio Kutic.

Thematically speaking, the conference covered a wide range of topics of interest to the wider developer public, and will no doubt do exceptionally well in further positioning the truly innovative Croatian company Infobip on the demanding American market.

For more on Croatian companies, innovation and entrepreneurs, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.