The Croatian Diaspora

NFCA-CFU To Host Special Olympics Fundraiser Wine Tasting Event in Monroeville PA

One for your North American diaspora diaries. NFCA-CFU to host special Olympics fundraiser wine tasting event in Monroeville PA on Friday, June 2, 2017. 

You are invited to a special music and wine tasting event on Friday, June 2nd to benefit the wonderful Special Olympics organization in Croatia. The welcoming reception for the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCA) and co-hosted by the Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU) is set for 7-9 pm at the CFU Headquarters in Monroeville PA and will feature beautiful Croatian music and Croatian wines to include Posip, Grasevina, Malvazija, Babic and Plavac Mali.

Tamburaški Sastav Ponoć, or TS Ponoć for short, plays a wide variety of music from Eastern Europe and mainly focus on music from Croatia and BiH. From traditional bećar songs to modern pop, love ballads to furious instrumentals, TS Ponoć with band members, Peter Kosovec, John Huckle, Mark Stafura, Ben Wagner, Nikola Vranesevic will truly entertain you and lift your spirits and all for a good cause. It so happens band member Peter Kosovec was one of the recently honored “40 Under 40” rising stars chosen by the NFCA to highlight younger Croatian Americans making their mark within the Croatian community and as role models within American society or the professional world within the USA! There will a tribute to several other “40 Under 40” winners in attendance on Friday night.

For your information, the Special Olympics in Croatia, with forty affiliated chapters brings fifteen different sports to 1,300 Croatians with intellectual disabilities. As Eunice Kennedy Shriver succeeded in creating a worldwide organization that has grown over the years and is now in over 150 countries. It has created opportunities in sports for so many individuals excluded before and it is all about fun participation. The one very popular Special Olympics quote goes, “Let me win. But if I can not win, let me brave in the attempt."

The tickets are $25 per person ($45 for two and $60 for a family of three) and again all the proceeds will benefit the Special Olympics organization in Croatia. There will be light snacks, cheese, crackers, soft drinks and cookies besides the fine Croatian wine. Please RSVP to Bill Vergot at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Steve Rukavina at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and all attendees can pay at the door and with any checks made out to the NFCA CF.

The National Federation of Croatian Americans will be holding its 24th Annual Assembly of Delegates with a private Board of Directors and Delegates meeting from 8:30 am to noon on Saturday, June 3rd at the CFU facility. For all local Croatian Americans in the Pittsburgh area, there will be a NFCA public session in the cafeteria from 1:00 to 4:30 pm that afternoon with specials guests from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. There will be a serious focus on the challenges facing the Bosnian Croat community in BiH and the Washington, DC activities of the NFCA to be an advocate for the BH Croat community. All NFCA dues-paying members are eligible to apply to be an at-large delegate at the annual meeting.

Mark your calendars and the event again is 7 pm to 9 pm, you don’t want to miss this outstanding Croatian musical fundraiser on June 2nd.

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