In 2014 Friends of Slovakia will commemorate several critically important events in recent Slovak history through its popular Wall of Honor plaque program. The program offers individuals, organizations, and businesses a unique and personalized way to honor family, friends, and associates, while also supporting a wide range of FOS activities.
The FOS Wall of Honor, located on the grounds of the Slovak Embassy in Washington, D.C., contains more than 100 plaques given by individual members, Slovak organizations, and corporations doing business in Slovakia. The plaques are designed and engraved in Slovakia by expert craftsmen, reflecting FOS’s commitment to Slovak entrepreneurs and artisans. Each year, donors to the Wall of Honor are invited to a reception at the Slovak embassy for the unveiling of that year’s group of plaques, and they also have the opportunity to have their photograph taken with the Slovak Ambassador in front of their own personalized plaque.
This year Friends of Slovakia commemorates two important events with special group plaques. The first event is the 70th Anniversary of the August 1944 Slovak National Uprising, a heroic attempt by Slovak partisans to expel German troops from the territory of Slovakia during the final year of World War Two. The second event is the 10th Anniversary of Slovakia’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and to the European Union, a critical milestone in Slovakia’s development as a free and democratic country that is firmly anchored to Western values and institutions.
Funds raised through Wall of Honor plaque sales support the FOS summer Slovak Scholars Program, an annual Gala Awards dinner at which outstanding Slovaks and Slovak Americans are recognized for their accomplishments, the annual Freedom Lecture, and a variety of educational and cultural programs in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. The price for inscriptions on the special group plaques starts at $250 for individuals. Individual and corporate plaques are also available in a variety of sizes. To order your plaque or for more information, contact Thomas Skladony at 703-534-6575 or write to information@friendsofslovakia.org.