General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee of St. Theresa’s
The General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee of St. Theresa’s, Linden, held their sashing dinner on Saturday, June 12. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the establishment of the Linden Contingent.
The sashing dinner and parade were postponed last year due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. With restrictions being lifted, the executive committee moved ahead with the Linden sashing dinner.
According to Linden Contingent President Agnieszka Czajkowska, “The permit for the New York parade has not been issued for October as of yet. We are hopeful that our contingent can march down Fifth Ave. this year. If not, our honorees will lead our Linden Contingent in 2022. We are very proud of having a contingent in Linden for 40 years and sharing our culture through activities and events in Linden and the surrounding communities.”
This year, Linden Police Chief, David Hart, was named Linden Contingent Marshal and lead the Linden Contingent down Fifth Ave. The Linden Pulaski Committee bestowed Chief Hart with the honor as contingent Marshal to honor his many years of service to the parish of St. Theresa’s and the Linden Polish community, assisting with security detail for Cardinal Dziwisz on his many visits to Linden.
Chief Hart also is very active in community policing, serving as Deputy Coordinator for the Linden Office of Emergency Management for 13 years, and earning the nickname of “Doctor Dave” for his many years of service as a volunteer emergency medical technician for the former Linden Volunteer Ambulance Squad and as a paramedic for NJ State Mobile Intensive Care Unit at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Rahway. Chief Hart also serves as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Agnes in Clark and he and his wife, Tina, conduct the Marriage Prep Team.
The 2020/2021 Linden Miss Polonia is Sophie Kotulski. Sophie Kotulski is seventeen years old and is presently a junior at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in dance. Sophie speaks, reads and writes in Polish, obtaining the Golden Global Seal of Biliteracy from the Polish Supplementary School. She also volunteers as a catechist at St. Theresa’s CCD Program and is presently the Troop Leader of the Polish Cub Scouts in Clark, New Jersey. In 2014, Sophie was the Linden Contingent Junior Miss Polonia. Junior Miss Polonia for 2020/2021 is Marcelina Domaradzka. Marcelina is twelve years old and attends Soehl Middle School and the Karol Wojtyla Polish Supplementary School in Linden. Marcelina loves to sing and perform. At the sashing dinner, Marcelina opened the program with the singing of both the American and Polish National Anthems. Marcelina is also the recipient of the Meritorious Student Award which she received from the Polish Consulate in New York for her academic performance. Marcelina represents the Polish School in numerous competitions, festivals and events.
This year will mark the first time the Linden Contingent will have the honor of presenting a Little Miss Polonia. Eight year old Milena Glab of Clark was bestowed the honor at the banquet. Milena attends the Hehnly School in Clark and the Polish Supplementary School, Karol Wojtyla, at St. Theresa’s in Linden. Milena is very proud of her family and loves to go to Poland every summer, visiting her grandparents and learning more about her Polish Heritage.
For more information on the Linden Contingent, please visit Facebook, General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee of St. Theresa, Linden, NJ.
