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Office of Governor Pat Quinn

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Polish Constitution Day

Quinn celebrates biggest, brightest Polish Constitution Day ever: Announces Polish Skyline Tribute

GREAT VISUALS: A framed replica of Polish Constitution and various Polish artifacts on display

This Thursday, May 3, at 11:00 a.m., Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will gather with members of the Polish community to celebrate Polish Constitution Day � a day to commemorate the 216th anniversary of the Polish Constitution, which was adopted on May 3, 1791. The Polish Constitution is the world�s second written constitution.

Quinn will be joined by Paweł Pietrasieński, acting consul general of the Republic of Poland and Frank Spula, president of the Polish National Alliance.

On October 6, 1788, one year after the Founding Fathers in Pennsylvania proposed a new constitution for the United States, the Polish Parliament began its deliberations to create a government that would defend and honor the rights of its people. The Polish Constitution was approved by King Stanislaw August Poniatowski on May 3, 1791.

Unfortunately, the Polish Constitution did not last. By 1795, Russia, Austria, and Prussia occupied the territories of Poland. Despite that fact, the Polish Constitution of 1791 is commemorated for what it represents � the Polish spirit devoted to truth, justice, and freedom.

Quinn will also be joined by Illinois Army National Guard Colonel Steven Huber of Sycamore, Illinois. Commander of the 108th Sustainment Brigade, Colonel Huber�s unit served with Polish forces in the Global War on Terror.

"On the 216th anniversary of this special event in world history, we celebrate the Polish spirit of democracy," Quinn said. "As Polish and Illinois soldiers serve side-by-side in Afghanistan and Iraq, they continue our history of a shared common devotion to the cause of liberty and freedom.�

The State of Illinois shares a longstanding partnership with the Republic of Poland under the auspices of the Partnership for Peace Program. The military forces of the Illinois National Guard and Poland have cooperated in numerous training events, exchange programs, and training exercises. The partnership has developed over the years to enhance understanding, knowledge, and appreciation for the other�s military capabilities.

The partnership between Illinois and Poland echoes the heroism of two Polish heroes of the American Revolution: Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, the first Commander of the American Calvary, and General Thaddeus Kosciuszko, an engineer whose brilliant fortifications helped the American forces defeat the British at the pivotal Battle of Saratoga.

In honor of these famed Polish heroes, Publisher Nancy Reid of Great Plains Press will present Quinn with the book Twice a Hero, written by Dirk Wales and illustrated by Lynn Ihsen Peterson. The children�s book details the lives of Pulaski and Kosciuszko while exploring the many different qualities that make a hero.


Mr. Wales and Great Plains Press, publisher of Twice a Hero, have generously offered to provide numerous copies of the book, which will be presented to officials and dignitaries during a cultural exchange and trade mission to Poland later this year. Quinn and Danuta Kowalik - mother of Lance Cpl. Jakub Kowalik who was killed in Iraq and granted citizenship posthumously � will also bring a box of the Twice a Hero book to the school that young Jakub Kowalik attended as a child in Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland.

This year, Chicago�s celebration of Polish Constitution Day will be even bigger and brighter. Chicago buildings will light up in the white and red colors of the Polish flag for the first-ever Polish Skyline Tribute, Thursday, May 3 � Sunday, May 6. Organized by the Lt. Governor�s office, the tribute will feature the word SOLIDARITY displayed in lights on the famed Smurfit-Stone Building (150 N. Michigan Ave.) in a fitting salute to the nearly one in ten Chicagoland residents who trace their ancestry to Poland.

In Chicago, Polish Constitution Day is a weeklong event, culminating in a parade on Saturday, May 5, at 11:30 A.M. on Columbus Drive, across from the Buckingham Fountain in Downtown Chicago. A festival will follow at Navy Pier.

Nearly one million Americans of Polish decent live in Illinois. For more information on Polish Constitution Day events, please visit www.polandonthepier.com.

2007 Polish Skyline Tribute Participants
Thursday, May 3rd � Sunday May 6th

  • DePaul University - 1 E. Jackson
  • Smurfit-Stone Bldg. - 150 N. Michigan Ave  
  • 444 N. Michigan Ave
  • Navy Pier - 600 E. Grand Ave.
  • The Art Institute of Chicago - 111 S. Michigan Ave.
  • Marina Towers Condominium Association � 300 N. State Street
  • John G. Shedd Aquarium - 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive
  • Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA) � 120 S. LaSalle St.

�One can be independent everywhere, providing one is noble in thought, judgment, and heart.�
--- Thaddeus Kosciuszko