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“For Freedom is Measured with Crosses” – this poignant line from the song “Red Poppies on Monte Cassino” serves as the theme of the 87th Pulaski Day Parade, set to be held in New York.
On October 6 at noon, tens of thousands of Poles, Americans of Polish descent, and representatives of other communities will march along Fifth Avenue, the iconic thoroughfare of the American metropolis, to honor the hero of both Poland and the United States, General Kazimierz Pułaski.
The Pulaski Day Parade is one of the most vibrant patriotic and cultural celebrations organized by Polish communities around the world. As with every previous edition, tens of thousands of participants and spectators, including children, youth, and seniors, will take part. Marching along New York’s Fifth Avenue will be orchestras, folk and artistic groups, athletes, soldiers, and civil officials.
“They will represent the diverse community of the United States of America, encompassing all of us… all ethnic groups, every person with dreams, and everyone who strives to fulfill them,” said Richard Zawisny, President of the Pulaski Day Parade, in a message to the participants.
“In the spirit of dedication and sacrifice for the ideals of American freedom, which Generals Pułaski and Kościuszko shared with our Founding Fathers, the theme of this year’s Parade is the phrase ‘For Freedom is Measured with Crosses,'” he added.
The celebrations will begin with a mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 9 a.m. The Parade will start at 12:30 p.m., with the route running along Fifth Avenue from 39th Street to 54th Street. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who expressed great respect for Polish-Americans and their contribution to the city’s development, will also participate in the Parade. Adams stated that as long as he holds office, he will continue to join the Pulaski Day Parade.
The Pulaski Day Parade is a major patriotic celebration for many Americans of Polish descent. On the website pulaskiparade.com, we can read testimonies from individuals recalling how they, year after year, participated in the Parade with their families. “My mother marched in the Parade starting in 1937, when she was nine. At the age of 95, we had to put away her parade boots. We, her children, used to march with the community of the Polish National Home in Harrison, NY, from Our Lady of Czestochowa Church,” wrote Judith Listwan.
Jerry Ceasar Przybylowicz recalls attending the parades with his parents, who emigrated from Warsaw to America in 1902. After the Parade, they would always have tea at the corner of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.
The Grand Marshal of the 2024 Pulaski Day Parade is Piotr Praszkowicz, a businessman born in Poland who moved to the U.S. in the early 1990s. The Honorary Marshal is Anna Maria Anders, former Polish ambassador to San Marino and Italy and the daughter of General Władysław Anders and Irena Anders.
The Pulaski Day Parade in New York has been organized since 1937 by the Polish-American community to honor the hero of their two homelands. Kazimierz Pulaski was one of the commanders of the Bar Confederation, fighting against Russian forces. After the fall of the Confederation, he emigrated to the United States, where he fought as a general in George Washington’s army during the American War of Independence.
Pulaski died on October 11, 1779, from wounds sustained at the Battle of Savannah. He was only 32 years old.
Family News Service