Garezers 50 weekend will be a 4-day celebration, including a variety of musical performances featuring talent from North America and Latvia, a feature film, athletic events, fireworks show, cooking competition and other entertainment. The Latvian Center’s history will be commemorated with a formal church service. “What is Garezers? … I am Garezers!” is the theme of the anniversary. The Celebration and associated fundraising campaign will help to secure the future growth and development of the Center.

Celebration Committee Chair Franz Bauer of Cleveland, OH said, “Everyone is invited to be a part of this huge milestone for what now has become a global community of people who love Garezers. The 50th Anniversary is going to be an event that everyone, no matter what their age, will enjoy.”

The Latvian Center Garezers is the largest gathering place for the Latvian community outside of Latvia, as well as the largest summer tourist destination in the Three Rivers, MI area. Its mission is to provide a meeting place for Latvians of all ages, to raise and educate Latvian youth, to strengthen the Latvian language, culture and spiritual values, to promote the Latvian heritage and develop links with Latvia.

Garezers, formerly Camp Lone Tree, was purchased by the Latvian community from a Chicago Girl Scout troupe in 1965. During the ensuing 48 years, hundreds of volunteers have helped to maintain the beautiful landscape of more than 250 acres, including rustic buildings, lakefront and woods, and to develop the programs and infrastructure that now draw several hundred campers and over one thousand visitors each summer.

The Center will be organizing several fundraising events leading up to the Celebration. In order to ensure the success of the event, Garezers will seek sponsors, donors and volunteers. There will be opportunities for advertising, as well as for service providers, as the Center prepares for the many guests who will attend the festivities. Garezers is currently accepting entries for the Celebration’s logo design.

More information about the 50th Anniversary Celebration can be found on the Garezers website http://www.garezers.org, by joining the Garezers Facebook page, or by contacting Celebration Committee Chair Franz Bauer –  garezers50@garezers.org.

PBLA septembrī izsludināja video konkursu “Mana latviešu skola” visām latviešu skolām, kas atrodas ārpus Latvijas. Izsludinātajā konkursā skolām kā skolas kopīgu projektu bija jāsagatavo video par savu latviešu skolu.

Video bija jāiekļauj īsu informāciju par savu skolu – cik ilgi tā pastāv, kur tā atrodas, cik bērnu to apmeklē, ar ko skola lepojas, kas skolai īpašs. Tad pārējais video ieraksta saturs ir bijis atstāts katras skolas pašas rīcībā – tas varētu būt emocionāls, smieklīgs, patriotisks, dokumentāls, māksliniecisks, vai dažādu stilu sajaukums. Video nedrīkstēja pārsniegt 3 minūtes. Visus video ierakstus PBLA bija jāiesniedz līdz 31. oktobrim.

Konkursa mērķis: Celt diasporas skolu lepnumu pašiem par savu skolu un tai pat laikā iepazīties ar citām skolām; uzzināt, cik liela ir diasporas bērnu saime.

Vērtēšana ir žūrijas rokās, kas darbus vērtēs pēc sekojošiem kritērijem:

1) radošums – gan tehniskā, gan vizuālā kvalitāte;

2) informācijas apjoms – uzziņas materiāls par skolu un tās vidi

Žūrija arī saskaitīs YouTube “Like” skaitu katram video ierakstam.

Konkursā piedalījās 16 skolas no visas pasaules – Dānijas, Zviedrijas, Beļģijas, Lielbritānijas, Gruzijas, Vācijas, ASV, Austrālijas un Kanādas.

Tālāk varat iepazīties ar katras skolas video ierakstu. Varat arī katrs piedalīties balsošanā, izvēloties skolas ierakstu, kas jums vislabāk patīk, spiežot “Like” podziņu līdz 13. novembrim.

Konkursa uzvarētājus pasludināsim 14. novembrī un uzvarējušās skolas apbalvos skolas/kopienas valsts svētku sarīkojumā.

Ziemeļkalifornijas latviešu skola

Čikāgas Krišjāņa Barona latviešu skola

Latviešu skola Hamiltonā, Kanādā

Līdsas jauniešu un bērnu skola “Pūcīte”

Bostonas latviešu skola

Bristoles latviešu bērnudārzs “Sauleszaķi”

Ņudžersijas latviešu skola

“Ave Sol” bērnu skola

Melburnas latviešu biedrības Daugavas skola

Štutgartes latviešu skola Vācijā

Kopenhāgenas latviešu skoliņa

Bonnas latviešu skoliņa Kamolītis

Stokholmas latviešu skola

Sidnejas latviešu skola

Mineapoles un Sv. Paulas Latviešu skola

Briseles sestdienas skoliņa

Jeļena Prokopčuka of Latvia, a two-time winner of the ING New York City Marathon, has finished third in this year’s running of the 26-mile course.

The 37-year-old Prokopčuka crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 47 seconds. Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya won the women’s competition and Buzunesh Deba of the United States came in second, according to results posted on the marathon’s official website.

Prokopčuka, from Jūrmala, has a record of doing well in the New York marathon, finishing fifth in 2004, first in 2005, first in 2006, and third in 2007. She took a break after the birth of her son and has slowly returned to competition by running in half-marathons and marathons in Latvia and elsewhere in Europe, according to media reports.

She is coached by her husband, Aleksandrs Prokopčuks.

The men’s marathon was won by Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, who finished in 2:8:24, according to the official results. The pushrim wheelchair competition was won by Marcel Hug of Switzerland and Tom Davis of the United States won the handcycle race.

Prokopčuka was one of five runners from Latvia registered for the New York marathon. Others included Inese Ķīkule of Rīga, Andis Brucis of Jūrmala, Aivars Bergmanis of Rīga, and Māris Diņģelis of Rīga.