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15| W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,M ay 31,2018 w aterloochronicle.ca EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITYWATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA local news local sports local happenings It started out as a way topreserve the music, danc-ing, culture and tradition oftheir former homeland but after 40 years and hundreds of performances it also added to the rich cultural tapestry of Canada. The local Queen Helena Cana- dian Croatian Cultural and Chari- table Society, also know as Kral- jica Jelena, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special perfor- mance at Wilfrid Laurier Uni- versity's Maureen Forrester Re- cital Hall June 2, followed by a reunion and banquet at Holy Family Catholic Church parish hall in Kitchener later that night that will be a homecoming for former members of the group. Organizing those efforts is the society president Elizabeth Malet- ic, who is also the daughter of the group's first president Vjekoslav Hojan, who helped found the cultural preservation group in 1978. It's been a family affair ever since with her three daughters now forming the third generation of those efforts, and joining hun- dreds of others who have kept alive the folkloric dance, singing and tambura music traditions alive in the new world. "It's a big deal," said Maletic. "The story was told to me that a group of individuals got togeth- er one evening and said let's start a group and they all put in a paycheque and Queen Helena was born. "From that point in time it's been a matter of love." They had left their home for better opportunities in Canada. Others buckled under the yoke of the former Communist regime. Still more pined for the indepen- dence of their homeland and the recognition of their language, culture and history that finally came in January 1992. "When you have so many people in the diaspora, that gave them a little piece of home right here," said Maletic. "You need something from that culture to pass it down, and maybe that's why it's been so successful." From that modest beginning, the group built up its repertoire, it's traditional costuming and it's artistic vision and has gone on to host national and international performances of like-minded folkloric groups at the University of Waterloo, Centre in the Square and the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. "It's been tough at times, but it's also been incredible," said Maletic. "There aren't many groups that can say they've been around for 40 years never mind folklore groups. "We're lucky being in Kitche- ner, Waterloo and Cambridge and being a smaller Croatian pop- ulation than Oakville, Toronto or Mississauga yet we still have managed to maintain something." The vibrant costumes, singing and dancing also took them around the world to festivals in the U.S., stages in Croatia and even a career highlight for Malet- ic when the group danced with nationally renowned Les Sortilèg- es in Montreal. "I was 20-something years old and I was performing on a na- tional stage with people who were professionals," said Malet- ic. "I was just a kid at that point in time, and it was pretty in- credible." The group has had some high profile members over the years, including current Kitchener May- or Berry Vrbanovic, who had the group perform at his inaugura- tion four years ago. "It was a small way to recog- nize my culture but to recognize that Canada is a diverse country, an event like that is a celebration of diversity of the fact that some- body can come here as a young immigrant and work hard have the opportunity to achieve," said Vrbanovic. "Whether it's political office or in their careers, they can do great things ... including be- coming mayor of Kitchener and having them there was to ac- knowledge that." Vrbanovic who came to Cana- da in the mid-1960s as a three year-old was asked to join the group in 1990 to help them orga- nize the Croatian festival that was coming to town, and since then has served as president of the society and was a board member for 15 years. He's still involved with the group and will be speak- ing at the performance at 2 p.m. and at the banquet that follows that night. "It's been a gathering point for people and now it's a gathering point for the next generation," he said. "It's allowed us to share our culture with the greater Canadian culture, and continue that cycle for another generation." But to sum up the experience that has been a major part of her life Maletic said it was a family, and it remain so to this day. "It's been like a family," said Maletic. "It's morphed into that, a family, and having friends, and being able to do something to- gether and being proud of what you are and where you've come from." The local Queen Helena Croatian Cultural and Charitable Society is celebrating its 40th anniversary June 2 with a special performance and banquet. Photo Courtesy of Queen Helena Society A celebration of Croatian-Canadian culture Queen Helena Canadian Croatian Cultural and Charitable Society marks its 40th year in the community BOB VRBANAC bvrbanac@waterloochronicle.ca CITY LIFE Visit waterloochronicle.ca for more coverage