Proceeds from the White and Red Ball fund the charitable and philanthropic work of the Legion of Young Polish Women. The Legion was founded on September 2, 1939, the day after the Nazi invasion of Poland, by a group of young Chicago women of Polish heritage. Their first effort was to raise monies to purchase an ambulance to be used by the Polish Army in Exile in England. Continuously active since that time, the Legion, with strong support from debutantes, their families, and Legion friends, has gathered and contributed over one million dollars to countless worthy causes, both in the United States and abroad.
Some previous major projects include: continuing major monetary support to the Maria Kuncewicz Endowment Fund at the University of Chicago, formerly the Chair of Polish Language and Literature, established by the Legion in 1961; continuing major donations to The Polish Museum of America in Chicago, Polish-American scholarship funds, donations the South Asian Tsunami Relief and Hurricane Katrina Relief, the Illinois Military Families Benefit Fund, donations to support documentaries on Polish WW II hero Irena Sendler as well as the Katyn Forest Massacre, support of Women’s Services at the Polish American Association, donations to the “Cure Autism Now” Walk-a-thon and support for exhibits of Polish art at both the Art Institute of Chicago and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
The Legion works to insure that Polish culture, heritage, and traditions remain an integral part of our ethnically diverse country, as well as helping to address the needs of new immigration from Poland. In addition, the Legion has also supported various relief efforts in Poland, ranging from food and clothing to widows and orphans in post-WWII Poland, medical supplies to smaller Polish clinics, and aid after the Chernobyl disaster and the devastating 1999 floods. The Legion continues to support Polish orphaned children’s homes, and Polish homes foe special needs children.
For further information, please contact: [email protected]