Wnekowicz, Ludwik

Ludwik Wnekowicz
1997 Grand Marshal Pulaski Day Parade
The General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee has been fortunate since 1937 to always be privileged with an outstanding Polish patriot and praise-worthy American citizen, to annually lead the Pulaski Day Parade as Grand marshal on New York's Fifth Avenue.
In this 61st parade, the man bestowed with this distinct honor is Ludwik Wnekowicz who was elected Grand marshal by the majority of votes cast by members of the General Pulaski Memorial Committee. In a democratic process, at a meeting the delegates from three states, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, have elected a man who through his work, initiative and enthusiasm has earned the right to receive the coveted office of a Grand marshal. Mrs. Alexandria Patras, a former Grand marshal, presented the nomination m his behalf.
The 1997 Grand marshal was born in Nowy Sacz, Poland, into a family of seven brothers and four sisters. In spite of difficult times in Poland, he was fortunate to attend the Law School of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and to graduate in 1980. As an attorney, he was elected Vice president of the Executive Committee for the Trnsbud Company in Krakow. He was then an active member of the Solidarity Union before the enactment of the Martial Law.
His wife of 18 years, Krystyna, graduated from the Academy of Medicine in Krakow and became a physician. After the birth of their first daughter, Monika, they came to the United States, in 1981. He immediately began working in a factory, but realizing that in order to better himself he must learn to speak English fluently, he took a crash course, in which he succeeded.
As fortune would have it, the Grand marshal met Mr. Joseph Domaniecki, owner of Doma Export, and late in 1983 started working as Office Manager of his company. Through hard work and dedication, he was able, in 1985, to purchase the company, and as an owner, be in a position to offer help to the people of Poland. He estimates that today his company provides service to approximately quarter of a million people and the value of relief goods is about $20,000,000 per year. He said: "I am proud to be part of the bridge that allows relationships between families in Poland and help those who had come to the United States to stay together and build new lives for themselves."
In April 1996, the Grand marshal was elected president of the Polish American Congress, New Jersey Division. He is the 1st Vice-President of the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union. He is also a member of the Polish Children's Heartline, the General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee and the Komitet Pomocy Szpitalom w Polsce (Committee for the Aid to the Hospitals in Poland), Medicus and Polish and Slavic Center. At a ceremony at the Polish Consulate in New York, on November 10,1996, he was presented the Silver Cross of Merit by the Republic of Poland.
In this year's great calamity inflicted upon the people of southern Poland, who lost all their worldly possessions due to disastrous floods, the Grand marshal and his company, mostly without remuneration, continuously give help to the needy people of Poland in tremendous amounts of food, goods, clothing and medical supplies, free of charge shipment and other necessary charitable endeavors.
The Grand marshal and his wife, with their four children aged 7 to 17, reside in Verona, New Jersey.
We Salute you. Ludwik Wnekowicz, Grand marshal and Upstanding Man!
From: 61st Annual Pulaski Parade (Program), New York, October 5, 1997;
Published by the General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee, Inc.