CROATOAN Newsletter Spring 2025 Edition

Upcoming

End of Year Pool Party

• Like every year, Croatoan is organizing a summer pool party for our members, registered participants, and their friends and families. The Šušak/Hamedani Family has generously offered to host at their residence in Bells Corners. The party is on Saturday, June 21. A separate email will be sent to this year’s members and participants with additional details.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

• Our AGM will be on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Leopold Mandic Croatian Catholic Parish Hall (170 Hinchey Ave., Ottawa). During the AGM the Executive Council will present their reports and members will elect the 2025/2026 council. Members can also present questions, comments, and concerns. Anyone can attend but only adults who have paid the $10 membership fee this season can vote. More information will be provided in the official notice sent to 2024/2025 members.

Summer Public Performances

• Welcome to Stittsville Multicultural Festival – Saturday, June 7th, 12:00 p.m. Village Square Park (6000 Abbott St E) - FREE

• European Union Cultural Fair – Sunday, June 15th, 10:00 a.m. (performance at 2:25 p.m.) – Canadian Museum of History, outdoors by the Ottawa River (behind the museum) – FREE

  
  

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Past Events

47th Annual Spring Concert & Banquet

•  Our kolo and tambura groups shared their work this year with the public on Thursday, May 1 at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe. Advertised to the Ottawa-Gatineau community as “Naša Baština: A Showcase of Croatian Folklore,” teachers worked diligently preparing for this year’s performance and the audience was delighted with the show. The event culminated at the CROATOAN Spring Banquet and dance with music provided by Grupa Baština in the St. Leopold Mandić Croatian Catholic Church Hall. Thank you to our corporate and family sponsors for their support and congratulations to all performers!

2025 CROATOAN Scholarship Recipient

• Congratulations to Eva, this year’s scholarship recipient. Eva has been active in CROATOAN since she first joined Beginner Kolo at a young age. She has done a lot of work for CROATOAN as a teacher and active volunteer. Outside the group, she has raised over $20,000 for cancer research. Please join us in congratulating Eva!

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In the Know

Spring Concert Video for Sale

The video recording of the 47th Annual Spring Concert is now available for sale in two formats:

• USB Stick in 4K (High Quality) resolution - $25.00 – available for purchase from the members page of our website or by contacting info@croatoan.ca. Includes group pictures from Photo Day.

• Digital Download in 1080p (Standard Quality) resolution - $15.00 – available for purchase from the members page of our website.

NEW Member’s Page of the Website

We have a new page on our website that’s only for Croatoan participants, members, and parents. Sign-up by clicking the “Log in” button at the top of the home page. You will be asked to create a profile that is sent to our Webmaster for approval before you can access the page. The page will contain events, products (like pictures from photo day, the spring concert video, and member-only merch), and announcements that are intended only for active Croatoan participants, members, and parents.  

This is a precursor to a new mobile app that Croatoan is developing. The app will contain a calendar and can send push notification reminders for cancelled practices, events, and deadlines.

Farewell Message from Croatoan’s President

After serving 4 terms, our group’s President, Nicholas Zuger, has announced that he will not be seeking re-election. You can read his farewell message here. Nicholas will continue to be involved in Croatoan in other capacities.