IRYNA VASHCHUK DISCIPIO RECEIVES UKRAINIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
PITTSBURGH- Iryna Vashchuk Discipio, President of Revived Soldiers Ukraine, was presented the Ukrainian of the Year Award by the Ukrainian Technological Society of Pittsburgh (UTS) at its 50th Dinner Dance on Saturday evening, November 6, 2021, at The Club at Nevillewood in Presto, PA. The Award recognized Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio’s humanitarian zeal for the medical treatment and rehabilitation of the most severely wounded of Ukrainian servicemen through her founding of the IRC 501(c)(3) nonprofit Revived Soldiers Ukraine organization in the United States in 2015, and more recently, the establishment of Next Step Ukraine, a facility for the treatment of neurological injuries, in Irpin, near Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2019. Since 2015, Revived Soldiers Ukraine, has brought 48 severely wounded Ukrainian servicemen to major hospitals in the USA for medical treatment and rehabilitation worth more than 10 million dollars.
Out of town guests, including Volodymyr Kravtsov, Vice Consul of the Consulate General of Ukraine in New York City, and Revived Soldiers Ukraine team members: Mariana Balash, Youlian Chaplya, Oleksandr Dishchuk, Olga Dishchuk, Anatolii Kruk, Yana Nedelko, Mariana Nosal, Roman Vengrenyuk, and Liliya Shmatenkova were welcomed by UTS President George Honchar. After recognizing local guests, he asked Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio to come forward to receive her Ukrainian of the Year Award plaque, crafted by graphic artist, Taras Davyda. The inscriptions were read by UTS Executive Board members, Bonnie Lee Reinhart and Stephen Haluszczak in English and Ukrainian, respectively.
In her acceptance remarks, Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio, related how she had founded Revived Soldiers Ukraine in November, 2015, built up a team of 40 volunteers in major cities throughout the USA, and has devoted up to 60 hours per week to its operations. This has put a stress on her family, but she feels compelled to help the wounded soldiers for they had sacrificed themselves for the freedom of Ukraine. She introduced Leonid Ovdiiuk (Ovdiyuk), a serviceman undergoing medical treatment and rehabilitation under the auspices of Revived Soldiers Ukraine. From Luhansk, he suffered head, neck, and spinal injuries in May, 2020, from a mine explosion while fighting against the Russian invasion. Speaking in Ukrainian, he expressed the wish that after his rehabilitation, he wanted to return to the front to encourage his fellow Ukrainian soldiers.
Mnohaya Lita was then intoned, led by Mariana Balash, a popular Chicago Ukrainian Community singer; and a bouquet of flowers was presented to Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio. An Invocation prayer was made by Very Reverend Father Mark Swindle, pastor of Holy Virgin Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Arnold, PA. The Benediction prayer was made by Reverend Father John Charest, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Carnegie, PA.
Following the dinner, Mariana Balash gathered almost all of the guests in a circle dance to the tunes of the Gypsy Strings band. Reminiscent of the Hokey Pokey dance, everyone enjoyed the opportunity to participate in this dance new to the Pittsburgh Ukrainian Community.
On Sunday morning, the Revived Soldiers Ukraine team was invited by Reverend Father Ivan Smereka and Reverend Father Jason Charron of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie, and Father John Charest to speak to their parishioners during the coffee hour following their respective Divine Liturgies. Mrs. Vashchuk Discipio informed of the work of Revived Soldiers Ukraine and Next Step Ukraine, and team members passed out literature. Finally, the visit of the team members was concluded with an automobile tour of Pittsburgh led by President Honchar. The team members, many of whom had not visited Pittsburgh before, expressed thanks for the wonderful hospitality shown to them by the Pittsburgh Ukrainian Community. Please visit www.rsukraine.org for more information on the work of Revived Soldiers Ukraine. Please also visit www.utspgh.org for more information about the Ukrainian Technological Society.