On Sunday, July 26, the long-planned barbeque of Branch 65 of the Canadian Slovak League in Calgary could finally take place. The hail and rain from previous weekends were replaced by a beautiful sunny and warm day.
Hosts Ľudo Zanzotto and Pen Quet prepared a pleasant sitting in the garden of their residence and Fero and Martin Kilo prepared excellent steaks and other goodies, so we could enjoy a company of each other after a long time. Although not all members of the Branch were able to attend, Professor Zanzotto's family and friends complemented the pleasant get-together and eventually decided to join the Canadian Slovak League, thus the Branch gained seven new members.
The members also celebrated the 88th birthday of Palo Beňovský and the 73rd of Palo Čarnogurský. Palo Beňnovský surprised everyone by claiming that he is the oldest person on earth, because during his immigration to Canada in 1968, officials at the Montreal Airport wrote in a document 1698 as the year of his birth, so he has an official certificate to his claim. On this beautiful occasion, Mr. Beňovský read his latest poem, which he dedicates to all members of the Canadian Slovak League:
Love of homeland
Hey, my Slovaks,
give wings to a poet,
who from the heights of a bird's eye view,
sees all the beauty of our native homeland.
And who in the charm of the poem of his words,
will rouse in the heart of our soul,
love for the homeland,
as its eternal SOURCE.
