During such an exceptional jubilee of ‘Gazeta Polska,’ prizes were awarded to Professor Wanda Półtawska, the Speaker of the Polish Sejm Elżbieta Witek, Father Jarosław Wąsowicz and posthumously to the Ukrainian soldier Vitaly Skakun.
Gazeta Polska’s 30th-anniversary gala was a unique event. It took place at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. From the very beginning, Editor-in-Chief Tomasz Sakiewicz recalled that the media of the ‘Strefa Wolnego Słowa’ (Eng: Free Speech Zone) had fought for the freedom of speech from the beginning.
“Nothing has changed here, we are fighting for Poland, for being ourselves, for free speech,”
he said.
The award that was given for the first and at same time for the last time was the award of the Man of 30 years of Gazeta Polska. It was awarded to the eminent Prof. Wanda Półtawska.
Prof. Wanda Półtawska is a psychiatrist, a Doctor of Medical Sciences, a great defender of conceived life, a close friend of Pope John Paul II and a lady of the Order of the White Eagle.
“You are supposed to know (…) that you are the most important, always. Because no one is more important than a human being,”
Prof. Półtawska said in a recording that was broadcast during the gala.
“(…) but you must know one fundamental thing. There is no other human being like you, there never was and there never will be. The creativity of the One who created us is unlimited. This is a dogma of the Catholic faith,”
Professor Półtawska said.
Another exceptional award was presented to Father Jarosław Wąsowicz. This award was given by the Club Members of Gazeta Polska.
Following, the prize was posthumously awarded to the Ukrainian soldier Vitaly Skakun. The Gregory I the Great Prize is awarded by the “Nowe Państwo” monthly. Vitaly Skakun was one of the first soldiers in Ukraine to give his life to save his country. On his behalf, the award was received by his mother.
The last, but very special award, was the ‘Man of the Year award of Gazeta Polska.’ This award went to the Speaker of the Sejm, Elżbieta Witek, who, it was pointed out, has always been associated with the fight for freedom and justice.
“She could have been awarded for many things she did before. But this function (of Speaker of the Sejm – ed.) distinguished her and will remain in history,”
Sakiewicz pointed out.