A note from Frank Bucar and the Singing Slovenes

November 28, 2009 Backstage with the Singing Slovenes at Slovenian National Home 6417 St. Clair Ave. Cleveland, Ohio

My wife Sharon and I have been coming to Tony's Thanksgiving Polka Party since the early 1970's and little did I ever think that we would ever have the opportunity to perform for this most prestigious event.  Not only did the "Singing Slovenes" have the opportunity to perform for Tony's Polka Party, but what an honor to be a part of the Polka Hall of Fame Awards Show.  We came to Cleveland with our entourage of musicians and singers and faithful followers by motor coach as we left Duluth, MN on Wednesday evening and driving through the night, arriving at Sterle's Slovenian Country House at noon on Thanksgiving Day.  It was a pleasure to see so many of the musicians who are a mainstay of the Cleveland scene.  Upon our arrival at Sterle's, we were entertained during our Thanksgiving dinner by Fred Ziwich as he accommodated the Singing Slovenes with several sing-a-long tunes.  After dinner, we made our way to the hotel, checked in, and we were able to catch a couple hours of sleep before our first performance at 9 pm.  Everyone was so hospitable to us and being that Duluth is so close to the Canadian border, seeing the folks from the Toronto, Hamilton, and St. Catherines areas made us feel right at home.  Although it was a hectic schedule of three days of performances, the Awards Show, and the Celebration of the Polka Mass with Bishop A. Edward Pevec and Father Frank Perkovich, reminiscing with our friends Joey Miskulin and Joey Tomsick, the whole week seemed to be a blur as we found ourselves on the bus departing for Minnesota early Sunday morning with some beautiful memories.  Nasvidenje.