RIP Ben Stefanski

Ben Stefanski was a community leader and philanthropist especially in his beloved Slavic Village neighborhood. He was a history buff who brought that knowledge to current problems such as crime, poverty and clean water.

He worked on numerous projects including the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, regional leader for the Kosciuszko Foundation, worked and accomplished much for the City of Cleveland under Mayor Michael White, and in his earlier years was with Third Federal Savings and Loan, a national financial institution founded by his family.

Ben passed away on Saturday July 6, 2019.

We were proud that Ben served as Polish Ambassador for ClevelandPeople.com

Ben Stefanski in the Polish Cultural Garden

Ben Stefanski

Judge Karpinski, Ben Sefansi and Madame Curie bust

See the official profile of Ben Stefanski by Debbie Hanson

Ben Stefanski at Cleveland Polish Parade

Ben Stefanski was the Grand Marshall of the 2016 Polish Constitution Day Parade in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood.  He spoke in front of the Shrine Church of St Stanislaus and told how his grandmother came to the neighborhood and Church in 1886.  http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/polish/polish.htm

Polish National Anthem before Cleveland Parade

Polish National Anthem played on pocket trumpet before the start of the Polish Constitution Day Parade in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood.  Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland Chief of Regional Development Ed Rybka, Parade Grand Marshall Ben Stefanski and Gene Bak led off the Parade. http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/polish/polish.htm

Cleveland International Hall of Fame - 2014 Class

The 2014 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame will be inducted at a dinner ceremony in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott at Key Center on the evening of Monday May 12, 2014

The induction ceremony for the 2014 class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame on May 12, 2014 is Sold Out!

We are working with the Marriott to add a few tables so if you want to attend, you need to contact Debbie ASAP at deb@ClevelandPeople.Com or 216-381-8310. You can also publish (for a little while yet) congratulatory messages in the collector's edition program book.

The early Sell Out is a testament to the outstanding inductees.

The 2014 Class consists of (alphabetical order):

• Monte Ahuja
  inducted by Thomas Zenty



• Eugene Bak
  inducted by Ben Stefanski



• Margaret Callander
  inducted by Kona Gant



• Jim Foster
  inducted by Dick Pogue



• Donna Hom
  inducted by Margaret Wong



• Joseph P Meissner
  inducted by Jeremy Lin



• Ernie Mihaly
  inducted by Richard Fleischman



• Thomas J. Scanlon
  inducted by Sam Miller