On Wednesday, June 25, I had the honor to attend and provide the opening address for the XXV American Sokol Slet Kick-Off Event, which took place at Hinsdale South High School. This International Sports Festival takes place, in recent years, every four years in the United States. The competitions are modeled after the modern Olympic Games, and this year, marks the first time since 2005 that the event will be held in the Chicago area, and the first time the event will be held in Darien.
The Sokol Movement was founded in 1862 in the Czech lands which later became Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic). Its original purpose was to foster democracy among the Czech people living in the oppressive Austro-Hungarian Empire. The American Sokol Organization was founded in 1865 based on founder Dr. Miroslav Tyrs’ credo of “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body.” Today, the American Sokol is a 501(c) (3) organization that offers physical training in gymnastics and other athletics, as well as providing cultural awareness and family- oriented activities to its members and communities across the country.
Sokol is the Czech word for Falcon, and the word Slet in Czech roughly means: “a flocking of birds,” in other words, a gathering of Sokols or Falcons from around the world. This June 25 – 29 event will highlight competitors and spectators from the United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Slovakia and beyond to converge in Darien to compete in sports competitions, and perform mass calisthenics. During the June 25 to June 29 time period, we estimate that this event will bring over 1,000 individuals to our City of Darien, and we will extend our hospitality to them as they compete in these games.
As our motto states, “Darien, A Nice Place to Live” we would might add the phrase, “Darien, A Nice Place to Visit,” as our community extends itself to those who have come from all over the world, and who will make our city their “home” for the five days of the event. On behalf of our residents and our city staff, I can truly say that we want to make their stay a very pleasant one, and we congratulate the American Sokol Organization for bringing this event back to Chicago and to Darien; we wish them and their competitors’ great success, and we look forward to not only hosting the event, but in attending and promoting it throughout our fine city.
Mayor Marchese (center) pictured with the Sokol International Leadership
Mayor Marchese (third from right) with the Sokol Local Host Leadership Group