The event featured a concert of the global Rock legend and a proud Czech American Jim Peterik. Mr. Peterik took us on quite a trip through the decades, during which his songs have been reaching the very top of music charts all over the world. He performed some of his greatest hits, including the Eye of the Tiger, Vehicle, The Search is Over, High on You, and Hold on Loosely, and shared the stories how they came about. Jim Peterik has co-written some of the key chapters in the world’s Rock history and his performance hardly left any guest in doubt that when it comes to culture and maybe even to life, there is nothing better than Rock’n’roll. Ottawa’s very own Petr Cancura, a Czech-Canadian multi-instrumentalist and program director of the Ottawa Jazz Festival presented beautifully the national anthems and joined Mr. with smashing saxophone solos in the Eye of the Tiger and Vehicle.

Opening remarks of Ambassador Bořek Lizec about thirty years of the Czech Republic and also his four years in Canada (the text of the address is enclosed) were followed by addresses by Hon. Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada and Hon. John Brassard, Chair of the Canada – Czech Republic Parliamentary Friendship Group. Ambassador Bořek Lizec thanked both special guests for all their support of the development of Czech-Canadian relations. The Friendship Group, which was established during his tenure, currently includes more than 20 members of the Parliament of Canada and can be proud of its impressive record in strengthening Czech-Canadian relations. It was a great honour have several of the members with us, Hon. Carol Hughes, Assistant Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, Hon. Peter Boehm, Chair of Foreign Relations and International Trade Committee of the Senate, Hon. Valerie Bradford, Hon. James Bezan, Hon. Tom Kmiec, Hon. Damien Kurek, and Hon. René Villemure.

This evening and our many other activities during the past four years would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. We are most grateful to Bob Arthur, President Magellan Corporation, and his wife Susan, Tom Velan, past Chairman of Velan Inc., and his wife Dana, Mr. George Heller and his wife Linda, Česká mincovna - Czech Mint, COLT Canada, member of COLT CZ Group, Czechvar, the best-selling Czech beer globally as well as in Canada, our Official Carrier – The LOT Polish Airlines, and GZ Media, world’s largest vinyl records producer.

Ambassador Bořek Lizec presented - on the very special occasion of the 30th birthday of the Czech Republic – special medals prepared by Česká mincovna / Czech Mint for advancing the Czech-Canadian relations. You can learn more about the following impressive recipients of the medals in one of the attachments: Mr. George Heller, Hon. John Brassard, Mr. Jim and Mrs. Karen Peterik, Ms. Louise Josephine Ruzicka Child (Prague, Alberta Prague Hall), Mr. Jerry Vitezslav Marek (Minitonas, Manitoba Minitonas, Manitoba), and Larry Mikulcik Larry Mikulcik (Glenside, Saskatchewan Outlook, Saskatchewan), as well as Mr. Josef Maxant Camp Hostyn - Dětský Tábor Hostýn, the distinguished recipient of the Masaryk award of the Czech and Slovak Association of Canada.

Additional photos, videos (including the star music performances) and more from the special event is available at www.facebook.com/BorekLizec and www.twitter.com/BorekLizec.