Friends of Ukraine – Canada held a fundraiser for local refugees

Friends of Ukraine – Canada held UKIFEST yesterday in Pansy. They held a fundraiser to aid local Ukrainian refugees in need. 

Organizer, Mel Kachur, explains they created Friends of Ukraine – Canada to facilitate fundraising to aid local refugees. Before Friends of Ukraine was formed, they raised funds to help other people, such as supporting orphanages in Ukraine. 

Yesterday, they had a walkathon and bikeathon where people gave donation pledges. Later in the day they had a BBQ and held a freedom prayer rally where they sang songs and prayers for the people of Ukraine. 

They also had a social at Pansy Hall with Ukrainian food, 50/50 draw, and a silent auction. 

Kachur would like to reach out and meet local refugees and their contacts, and he wants them to know they don’t have to change their traditions now that they are in Canada. 

“They don’t have to leave their language, customs, and culture behind in Ukraine. UKIFEST is like Folklorama and Pansy Hall is like Kyiv Pavilion.” 

Many people in the Pansy area are from Ukraine, so it hits close to home seeing the situation in Ukraine. Kachur says they are devastated.  

“People are slaughtered like flies and women and children are raped. Millions of people displaced throughout Europe and Canada, homes and infrastructure are reduced to rubble. When Putin grabs a heart from a Ukrainian, he’s taking a piece of my heart in Pansy and all the Ukrainian people in the world.” 

He says he has a toolbox for fundraising. It has a rolling pin, running shoes, a cross, and a fiddle, which symbolize different kinds of fundraising activities the community does.  

During Easter they were able to raise $5000 for an orphanage where they house teenage girls to prevent them from becoming victims of human trafficking. 

For more details on how to donate, call Mel Kachur at 204 434 9397, or email him at melvinkachur2@gmail.com. You can also donate to Friends of Ukraine at Steinbach Credit Union.