Uncle Bill's Birthday

On August 5th, 2005 my brother, William Michael (Bill) Hrushovetz had his 80th birthday. My wife Margaret and our 3 children Mary Margaret Powrie of Toronto, Semeon Bohdan junior of Calgary and Stephen Michael of Winnipeg marked this event with a donation of a Park Bench to the Public Works Department of the City of Winipeg and a special ceremony which took place on August 5th from 2.00-3.00 p.m. in the Michael Hrushvetz Park located on High Point Drive of Sun Valley Drive in North Kildonan - a suburb of Winnipeg.
Shirley Timm-Rudolph a former city councillor and a long time friend of Bill chaired the ceremony She read letters of congratulation from Mark Lubosch, Mayor Sam Katz, Bonnie Michelson MLA for River East, and Joy Smith, MP for the riding of Kildonan-St. Paul and then presented Bill with the letters as well as the respective pins.

In the abscence of Mark Lubosch the city councillor for the North Kildonan ward, Lillian Thomas, the councillor for the Elmwood ward graciously volunteered to unveil the bench and plaque and thanked the family for their donation to the city. Actually it was the 3 children who thought of the idea and made the donation on behalf of their uncle. Short speeches were made by Bill's only neice Mary Margaret on behalf of herself and her 2 brothers Semeon and Steve, by Bill's brother Semeon, and a long time neighbor Don Tymko. Cecil Hopko then got the children to form a circle around "Mr Bill" and Shirley lead us all in singing Happy Birthday to Bill. When asked to speak Bill's opening remarks were "Everything has already been said, I have nothing to add." After blowing out the candles on the birthday cake, and making the first cut, the family distributed the cake with watermelon, canned drinks and ice cream.

Several groups took pictures with uncle Bill on the bench. The crowd estimated at over 50, all signed the large framed picture of the plaque on the bench, a memento that will Bill long cherish. A "journalistic" report together with a few photos was submitted to the local Herald paper hoping they will publish it in the next issue due around the end of August 2005.