The traditional initiation ceremony, in which he was presented with a red rose and made a knight of this extraordinary Order, took place on January 16 in the packed auditorium of the Youth Cultural Centre. To fulfill the tradition, Kazimierz Pleśniak cheerfully drank a goblet of lemon juice. “I devoted a very large part of my life to children. And although I have been retired for years, I will never retire from community work. I intend to continue working for the youngest. My wife is attending this ceremony; for more than 40 years she supported me in my work, and I owe her a great deal. I thank her very much for that,” the laureate said, moved.
Kazimierz Pleśniak is the 1,004th knight of the Order of the Smile and the second person from Legnica to receive it. In 2015, Dr Halina Strugała-Stawik, president of the Foundation for the Children of the Copper Basin, was honored with this distinction.
“Mr. Kazimierz devoted his entire life to children. In his work, he followed the principle of ‘acting beyond divisions.’ It is impossible to list all his achievements. In recognition of his tremendous dedication, the children honored him with the only distinction of its kind in the world—the Order of the Smile,” said Beata Sobacińska of the Order of the Smile Chapter.
“Kazimierz, you are in all our hearts. We wish you never to run out of ideas for working for children, and may kind people always support you,” added Mayor Tadeusz Krzakowski.
Kazimierz Pleśniak was born in 1945 in Dubiecko near Przemyśl, into a patriotic family. He is a retired teacher. He began his community work in 1966. He was active in the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association, and was the founder and director of the “Harcerz” Youth Cultural Centre. He has been associated with the Friends of Children Society for many years and is president of the TPD Board in Legnica.
In 2010, he became an Honorary Citizen of Legnica. He also received the Legnica City Award. He greatly values the Scarlet Rose, awarded by the editorial office of “Płomyczek” at the children’s request in 1996; the TPD Friend of the Child badge; the Honorary Badge for Merit in Protecting Children’s Rights; the 2008 Icebreaker award; and the distinction awarded by the Diocese of Legnica: Friend of People with Disabilities.
He devoted his entire adult life to working for and on behalf of children. He initiated traveling camps which, during the summer holidays of 1982–1988 and 1995–2000, visited small towns in the former Legnica Voivodeship, organizing summer recreation. In 1989, on his initiative, an extracurricular education facility was established in Legnica—the “Harcerz” Youth Cultural Centre, transformed in 1994 into a youth palace called the “Harcerz” Youth Cultural Centre.
While he headed the Regional Branch Board of the Friends of Children Society in Legnica, the branch became the largest in the country, bringing together more than 3,000 members in over 140 Friends of Children circles and providing care for more than 2,500 children in need of assistance. In 2010, he initiated the National Forum of Friends of Children Circles in Legnica.