More ucumobile scratch-and-win contest prize winners

More winners for the ucu mobile scratch and win contest. Its such a pleasure to see happy smiling faces and we had plenty of that on Saturday afternoon at UCU booth during Ukrainian Bloor Festival.

Ipod winner

Another Bluetooth winner

and one more ipod winner

St. Demetrius Parish Yard Sale

Sister Rachel, the main organizer of the Yard Sale poses with
UCU St. Demetrius branch staff members

On Saturday, the staff of the St. Demetrius Branch of the Ukrainian Credit Union Limited attended the St. Demetrius Parish yard sale which took place in the parking lot just outside of our branch's doors. We had a chance to talk to a lot of our members who are also parishioners at St. Demetrius. Several of them also volunteered to help out with the yard sale.

UCU member, Mr. Steve Onyskiw with Luba Kapeluch, Associate Manager of

UCU's St. Demetrius Branch.

UCU member Ms. Sue Schreiner with Oksana Iwanusiw, MSO
at UCU's St. Demetrius branch

Some Mad Heads XL Coverage

New Canadian a website serving recent immigrants from Eastern Europe published a review of the Mad Heads XL concert. Video and tons of pictures are available here: Madheads concert video on Bloor

Hardworking UCU employees in Action

I showed up at the Toronto Ukrainian Festival in Bloor West Village just in time for the parade so I decided to take couple of pictures. This is what I captured:

UCU employees at the parade

 Mad Heads XL and UCU fans acting as personal bodyguards

Fat Cat interacting with young UCU fans.

Letting everyone know about the 2.25% deposit special!

Mad Heads' fans gathered in front of UCU Bloor Branch for autograph signing session.

Toronto Ukrainian Festival - prize winners for the ucumobile scratch-and-win contest

Below are a few pictures of people who won prizes from the ucumobile scratch-and-win contest at the UCU booth during the Toronto Ukrainian Festival. As I mentioned before, Kristin will provide a full list of winners soon. But I just wanted to say that as far as I know at least one of the major prizes has not yet been claimed. That means there is someone out there who might still have a winning card in their pocket and just needs to scratch it!



Blue Tooth winner

 

Blue Tooth winner



and another Blue Tooth winner!



Toronto Ukrainian Festival 2010

Well another Ukrainian festival in Bloor West Village is now behind us, but the memories will live on forever. As always, Fat Cat was a hit with the younger crowd.

But of course anyone who stuck it out to the late hours on Saturday will know that the Mad Heads were the real stars this year. They put on one of the best shows that this festival has ever seen. Not only are they a class act personally, but they also know how to entertain. Here's a few shots of them signing autographs at the Ukrainian Credit Union branch on Bloor Street.

After the show a lot of folks came up to say that they wished there had been another signing session at night, but unfortunately the Mad Heads had an early flight back home the next day. However, if you think we should sponsor them again in the future, then let us know either by posting something here, voting in the poll in the right hand column or emailing me directly (ydiakunchak@ukrainiancu.com). I personally am very willing to do it, but I can only justify the cost if we get some solid feedback.

Anyway, I'll leave you with a few shots of the parade...



UCU member Kevan Dutchak, owner of The Original Six Carwash at 411 Kipling Av. offers Fat Cat and Taras Pidzamecky (UCU CEO) the sweetest ride of the parade.



UCU staff and supporters gathering before the parade.

at the end of the signing, Mad Heads XL poses with UCU festival volunteers (sheesh, whoever took this shot needs a steadier hand!)



Niagara Tour a success! Toronto awaits

Mad Heads XL completed a whirlwind tour of the Niagara peninsula today, visiting Rosewood Estates Winery, Skylon Tower, Niagara Falls and the Ukrainian Credit Union branch in St. Catharines. Staff and members at the St. Catharines branch welcomed the group to their city.

They were a pleasure to be with. Really a bunch of guys with a pretty positive outlook on life (which is amply reflected in their lyrics). Valeriy Chesnokov, who plays the trombone for the group, said that one of their goals as a band is to espouse optimism.

Branch manager Yuriy Nesvit (at far right in the photo) arranged for snacks to give the band energy for their sound check on the festival stage later that day in Toronto.


We had a nice "aww" moment when the young lady in the picture below got all the band members to autograph her sign.

At left, Vadym and Oksana prepare to sample the Rosewood Merlot while UCU Youth Reporter Kalyna Taras prepares her camera in the background.

The highlight of the day was the Maid of the Mist. A little bit wet maybe, but the Mad Heads enjoyed themselves.

Mayesh zbroyu i kvity, idy i zuvmiy, svit dovkolo vidkryty....

So the pre-fest party is over, but the festival has just begun. Mad Heads XL have made their mark on Toronto and it is one that will last a very long time.  I don't think I've had this much fun at a concert by a Toronto Ukrainian Festival headliner since Taras Chubaj was here a decade or so ago. Another thing that really is impressive about this group is that they have some pretty up-lifting lyrics to many of their songs. These guys love life and respect it and it shows. Well, enough of the blather, here are some pictures. And really, go see them on Saturday at the main stage at the festival.

Vadym belts one out.

Trumpets, trombones, oh my.
Lots of people came out tonight, I'd say at least 200, maybe more.

Vadym reaches out to folks on the dance floor.

And of course there were tons of UCU representatives at the event as well.

Walter Kish, UCU Director (on the right)

Yuriy Wodoslawsky, UCU Vice-Chair of the board (on the right)



Walter Drozdowskij, Greg Adamowich, UCU Directors

Stephen Lebid on left.

We'll leave you for now with another photo of Mad Heads XL. More will come tomorrow from the Niagara tour and then from Saturday's concert. Stay tuned.

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To all our St. Catharines and Niagara Region members

Mad Heads XL, the ucu-sponsored headline act of the Toronto Ukrainian Festival is coming to town on Firday September 18! We are taking the band on a tour of the Niagara Region so they can unwind before the big show. Below is a brief intinerary:

11:00am the band stops at the Rosewood Estates Winery for a private tour

1:15 pm We board the Maid of the Mists in Niagara Falls

3:15pm We stop for refreshments at the Ukrainian Credit Union branch at 118 Niagara St. in St. Catharines. This will be your best opportunity to see the band and maybe get an autograph.

Then its back to Toronto where Mad Heads XL will join UCU in the parade in the morning, visit our Bloor St. West branch for an autograph signing session at 3:30pm. In the evening, they will perform on the festival's main stage as the final act of the evening.

UCPBA Wine Tour

Just got back into Toronto from the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association (UCPBA) organized tour of wine country. My hat's off to Taras Hetmanczuk, the President of UCPBA. The tour was fun, well-organized and well attended. I think at least 50 people came with us.

We started out at Kipling subway station and bused it over to Vineland Estates, where Roman Prydatkewycz, who oversees the winery's vinyards, gave us some interesting insights into the wine business. That's him on the left in the picture below.

Then we made a brief stop in the picturesque town of Jordan (I've been everywhere in the Niagara Peninsula, but I've never been to this place!) Our final stop was the Rosewood Estates which is owned and operated by Evhen and Renata Roman. Evhen gave us a decent idea of the economics behind running a winery and Renata and daughter Christine led us through a tasting session of several wines and mead.

Renata Roman explains the difference between oaked and unoaked Chardonnays.

Evhen Roman, Chair of the UCU Board, talks about the hazards that face a typical vinyard.

Taras Hetmanczuk, UCPBA President thanking the people involved in organizing the trip.

Roman Mlynko, UCU Wealth Management Advisor, listens to Renata describing the Pinot Noir.

Look out St. Catharines, Niagara Peninsula et al.

Only eight days left before we take MadHeads XL on a crazy bus tour of the wonderful sights, sounds, smells and (wine) tastes of the Niagara Peninsula. We're going to make stops at the Rosewood Estates Winery, the Skylon Tower, Maid of the Mists and of course our branch in St. Catharines at 118 Niagara Street where you will be able to meet the band, have a snack with them and who knows, maybe they will sign your t-shirt or something.

Check these guys out at http://www.madheads.kiev.ua/ua/main they are the headline act at the Toronto Ukrainian Festival on Bloor Street West. They'll perform on the main stage on Saturday the 18th. There's also a pre-festival party at My Place on Bloor and Jane on Thursday night (the 16th). I've been listening to their CDs all week long and let me tell you I love the ska sound. Brings me back to the old days of skanking to the English Beat, The Specials, Madness, King Apparatus, The Selector, you name it. Plus they mix in some reggae and even some Stray Cats-like sounds. All with a distinctive Ukrainian folk undertone. DO NOT miss it!!!! Truly One Step Beyond (echoes off into the distance). Someone on the interwebs called their sound "psychobilly". I like the sound of that.

PS if you want to meet MadHeads XL get in touch with Kristen Glover kglover@ukrainincu.com she can provide you with the exact times we will be at each location. Bring a camera.

More Independence Day photos - Centennial Park, Etobicoke

Another lucky iPod touch winner!

And here's a shot of Fat Cat visiting our wonderful volunteers at the UCU booth at the Ukrainian Independence Day Festival.

I love those shirts by the way!

(Belated) Posting of ucumobile Scratch-and-Win contest winners

One of our lucky iPod Touch winners poses with Roman Litwinchuk and Eugene Roman.

A couple of weeks ago (August 21) Ukrainian Credit Union Limited was very pleased to be a key sponsor of UCC's Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. Those of you who visited our booth had a chance to participate in a Scratch-and-Win contest that we held in order to promote our new ucumobile smart phone and SMS text-based banking service.

Below is a list of the people who claimed the two main prizes:

iPod Touch:
Petro Kovalchuk
Natalie Cayrmiowski

Bluetooth device:
Douglas Jones
Adriana Szlochtycz
Bartlomiej Panszczyk

We'll be distributing more Scratch-and-Win tickets at our booth at the Toronto Ukrainian Festival in Bloor West Village on September 18th. So come on by for your chance to win one an iPod Touch, a Bluetooth device, or a number of other smaller prizes.

Other places that you can follow us on the Interwebs

Probably not many people know that we also have a Twitter feed. If you want to follow us on Twitter, log into your account and search for ucuykc (http://twitter.com/UCUYKC). We also have just launched a new presence on Linkedin. The page is at the following url: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/ukrainian-credit-union-limited?trk=copro_tab.

Let us know what you think!

Networking and Wine in Niagara Peninsula

I’m looking forward to this Saturday when I get on the bus, (in a strictly non-Keseyian sense!) for a tour of Vineland Estates and Rosewood Estates Winery & Meadery. The trip is organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association and is part of their Speaker Series. Glad to see that the Ps & Bs are coming up with some fun ideas for events. Anyway, I hope to see some of our members there. Yuriy D. and I will take some pictures to post up here for those people who won’t be able to make it out. Cheers!

I think there are still some tickets left, you might be able to get some by visiting www.infoukes.com/ucpba-toronto for more information.

Building Community. Будуємо громаду.

Ukrainian Credit Union Limited is a member-owned financial co-operative founded in 1944 to serve the Ukrainian Candian community and is committed to providing competitive financial products and excellent service to our members. Over the decades we have come to serve the broader community of which we are a part. Yet, we still stay true to our original objectives to support the maintenance and growth of Ukrainain cultural and communtiy life as our contribution to a strong, united and multicultural Canadian society. Currently, we are the 15th largest credit union in Ontario (out of some 400 individual credit unions) and we are THE largest credit union in Canada that operates under an ethnically-based charter.

This brand new blog follows the acitivities of Ukrainian Credit Union Limited, its staff and its members within the Ukrainian Community.

FYI: Some links to this blog send you directly to this entry instead of to the whole blog. There are many more newer posts than just this. To see all of them click anywhere on the big Building Community banner at the top of blog.