Presented by
Rayla Myhal
Co-Founder & Chair, Tryzub Awards Gala
On behalf of myself and the entire Tryzub Awards Gala committee, I would like to congratulate this evening’s recipients on their well deserved awards.
We continue to work in support of Ukraine as we mark more than three years since Russian aggressors attempted to undermine Ukrainian Sovereignty. Although the world and supporters of Ukraine are experiencing giving fatigue, the support of the Ukrainian diaspora and Canadians as a whole, continues to inspire and uplift.
This year we are thrilled to have selected these deserving recipients, the founders of Caravan Group of Companies: John Iwaniura, Steve Merena and Bob Workun. In addition, the Honourable Jason Kenney. These gentlemen exemplify service to Canada and the Ukrainian community in their actions and support of Ukraine on a global scale. We are humbled to be able to honour you all.
Thank you to the generosity of all of our supporters. We have once again surpassed our target for this year!
These funds will be shared between the Ukrainian World Congress and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation for humanitarian initiatives in support of Ukraine. In addition, funds will be allocated for local grass root charities that continue to support Ukrainians that have come to Canada fleeing the war. We look forward to an evening of celebration and reflection.
Our hearts and prayers continue to be with the people of Ukraine.
СЛАВА УКРАЇНІ!СЛАВА УКРАЇНІ !
Rayla Myhal Co-Founder and Chair
George Myhal Co-Founder
Marta Czurylowicz
Kirsten Myhal
Marc Marzotto
Kyla Pyndiura
Larysa Grod
Olena Grod
Renya Pastuszak
Luke Jakubowsky
The proceeds from tonight’s dinner will be used to fund programs with the following organizations.
The Ukrainian World Congress has been spearheading humanitarian aid and efforts in war torn Ukraine since the start of the war. UWC has been working tirelessly to ensure that support and aid are reaching the front lines and to the civilians that need it the most.
One of their most successful campaigns has been Unite With Ukraine, sending much needed military equipment and supplies to the region. You can learn more here: www.unitewithukraine.com
The Canada-Ukraine Foundation has become a go to organisation for Newcomers and non Ukrainians to garner information on how to support the war in Ukraine. Working tirelessly to re-engage Canadians, CUF has been working on initiatives that collaborate with a multitude of organizations in order to support a variety of services and support for Ukrainians, both here and abroad.
And to all of our supporters who purchased tickets or made donations for this evening to celebrate our outstanding recipients.
INTRODUCTION by Master of Ceremonies Marta Czurylowicz
STARTER COURSE
INTRODUCTION OF LEADERSHIP AWARD
Presented by Zenon Potichny
Awarded to Caravan Group of Companies Founders:
John Iwaniura, Steve Merena and Bob Workhun
MAIN COURSE
INTRODUCTION OF FRIEND OF UKRAINE AWARD
Presented by Diane Francis, past recipient
Awarded to Hon. Jason Kenney
CLOSING REMARKS from Rayla Myhal
Co-Founder & Chair of Tryzub Awards
Live Auction hosted by Keith Vriesen
PERFORMANCE by Mike Boguski
Roman Dubczak is Deputy Chair in the Office of the CEO at CIBC. He oversees strategic client and stakeholder relationships and acts as a senior strategic advisor to CIBC’s CEO. Mr. Dubczak joined the bank in 1992 and has worked in a variety of capital markets roles, having previously led CIBC’s Global Investment Banking, Global Equities, Equity Capital Markets and Corporate Debt Origination businesses. Mr. Dubczak is the current Chair of the Board of Directors for CIBC Mellon Trust Company and serves on the board of CIBC World Markets Inc.
Roman is a past Chair and remains a board member of the St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation. Currently he also Co-Chairs the Build Extraordinary capital campaign in support of a major addition to the hospital. In the past, Roman has also been a director and volunteer of many community organizations, most notably in Toronto’s Ukrainian community. Roman is a past Chair of the Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC) and is currently a member of the Dean’s Global Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Business. In June of 2025, Roman was awarded the King Charles III Coronation medal, recognizing his community service.
Roman was appointed by the Canadian Government in June 2024 as Canada’s representative to the Business Advisory Council of the Ukraine Donor Platform, a group of private sector businesspeople advising on the reconstruction and rebuilding of the Ukrainian economy.
Roman holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, as well as CA, CPA, CFA, and ICD.D designations.
Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the Soviet Union in 1963, Garry Kasparov became the under-18 chess champion of the USSR at the age of 12 and the world under-20 champion at 17. He came to international fame at the age of 22 as the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985. He defended his title five times, including a legendary series of matches against arch-rival Anatoly Karpov. Kasparov broke Bobby Fischer’s rating record in 1990 and his own peak rating record remained unbroken until 2013. His famous matches against the IBM super-computer Deep Blue in 1996-97 were key to bringing artificial intelligence, and chess, into the mainstream.
Kasparov’s was one of the first prominent Soviets to call for democratic and market reforms and was an early supporter of Boris Yeltsin’s push to break up the Soviet Union. In 1990, he and his family escaped ethnic violence in his native Baku as the USSR collapsed. In 2005, Kasparov, in his 20th year as the world’s top-rated player, retired from professional chess to join the vanguard of the Russian pro-democracy movement. In 2012, Kasparov was named chairman of the New York-based Human Rights Foundation, succeeding Vaclav Havel. HRF promotes individual liberty worldwide and organizes the Oslo Freedom Forum. Facing imminent arrest during Putin’s crackdown, Kasparov moved from Moscow to New York City in 2013.
The US-based Kasparov Chess Foundation non-profit promotes the teaching of chess in education systems around the world. Its program already in use in schools across the United States, KCF also has centers in Brussels, Johannesburg, Singapore, and Mexico City. Garry and his wife Daria travel frequently to promote the proven benefits of chess in education and have toured Africa extensively.
Kasparov has been a contributing editor to The Wall Street Journal since 1991 and is a regular commentator on politics and human rights. He speaks frequently to business and political audiences around the world on technology, strategy, politics, and achieving peak mental performance. He is a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Oxford-Martin School with a focus on human-machine collaboration. He’s a member of the executive advisory board of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics and a Security Ambassador for Avast Software, where he discusses cyber security and the digital future. Kasparov’s book How Life Imitates Chess on strategy and decision-making is available in over 20 languages. He is the author of two acclaimed series of chess books, My Great Predecessors and Modern Chess. Kasparov’s 2015 book, Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped is a blend of history, memoire, and current events analysis.
Kasparov’s next book is Deep Thinking: Where Machine Intelligence Ends and Human Creativity Begins. (May 2017) It details his matches against Deep Blue, his years of research and lectures on human and machine competition and collaboration, and his cooperation with the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford. He says,
“AI will transform everything we do and we must press forward ambitiously in the one area robots cannot compete with humans: in dreaming big dreams. Our machines will help us achieve them. Instead of worrying about what machines can do, we should worry more about what they still cannot do.”
As keyboardist in Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Blue Rodeo, Mike Boguski is regarded as one of the country’s finest instrumentalists. Having appeared on each of the band’s albums since 2009’s The Things We Left Behind, Boguski has contributed to Blue Rodeo’s evolution while staying true to its core sound that carries on the tradition of Canadian roots rock.
However, Boguski’s own musical range and ambitions extend far beyond his work with Blue Rodeo. Born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, Boguski started playing keyboards professionally in his teens, doing all manner of hired jobs before landing a spot in the band Revival Dear. This led him to frequent Toronto’s newly opened Dakota Tavern, where he found a place in its unofficial house band The Beauties. Their Sunday night residency quickly began drawing large crowds and led to further offers to play with other bands and singer/songwriters. When Blue Rodeo’s keyboard seat became vacant in 2008, Boguski got a call and within days he was on tour with them in the U.S. after learning a 30-song repertoire.
The band has created a body of work that stands as a benchmark in Canadian music, weaving deeply resonant, distinctly Canadian stories that have influenced countless songwriters. Their songs have not only defined Blue Rodeo’s legacy but have also influenced the evolution of rock and country music, inspiring countless artists and becoming woven into the fabric of the nation’s cultural identity.
Reflecting back on four decades of success, the members are able to fully appreciate where Blue Rodeo sits in the pantheon of music. “Success seemed real when we were entertaining people in The Horseshoe. That was the top of the heap for us,” Cuddy says. “When you look back, you realize it’s just been this beautiful dream.”
Exclusive wine sponsor
Cassian Soltykevych from Urban Block Media for your tech help!
We kindly ask that you tag the photographers on socials if using their photos online
Thank you to the dancers from Yavir School of Ukrainian Dance
Thank you Rustem Irsay, our print partner
Please view a full list of all of our silent auction items using the following link
