A charity fair in New Haven, Connecticut, selling paintings by wounded Ukrainian servicemen raised $33,000. The funds were used to purchase a vehicle to evacuate fallen soldiers and seven charging stations.
This was reported by Ukrinform.
According to Yulia Tolmachova, the initiator of the event was the organization’s partner Kateryna Gebert, who has lived in the United States for many years.
“Our partner Kateryna Gebert, who has lived in the United States for many years, suggested that we once again hold a charity fair in the United States with works by wounded servicemen that they draw during art therapy sessions that we regularly hold. The Zhytomyr City Territorial Center for Social Services, which donated towels embroidered by grandmothers, and the Zhytomyr Professional College of Culture and Arts named after I. Ohienko, which provided paintings by students, joined this initiative. All of this was sent to the USA. Everyone was very worried about whether we would be able to hold the fair. There were many skeptics who did not believe that we would be able to earn anything, but in the end everything turned out great. They raised 33 thousand dollars there. Representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora and Americans bought the products,” Tolmachova noted.
According to the volunteer, the main goal of the fair was to raise funds for a car to evacuate fallen servicemen. In addition, seven 2400-watt charging stations were purchased. All equipment has already been transferred to the military at the front.
The works left after the event are planned to be implemented during the next charity fair, which is being prepared to be held in the USA in April. The organizers intend to raise funds for Starlinks, charging stations and pickup trucks for evacuation.
Yulia Tolmachova also reported that the first charity fair in the USA took place in 2023. Then they managed to raise funds for pickup trucks for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The volunteer has been helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2014 and is a full holder of the Order of Princess Olga. She does not keep track of the assistance provided to the troops, but notes that over the past two and a half years she has donated about 380 drones.
According to Tolmachova, drones, pickup trucks, Starlinks, charging stations and tires remain among the most urgent needs of the front. At the same time, she emphasizes the problem with collections, the volumes of which are gradually decreasing. They were most active during the fighting in the Kyiv region, but after the de-occupation of the region they began to decrease, and last year and this year they decreased significantly. Some equipment requested by the military has to be borrowed from suppliers.
Photo: by Ukrinform.
Author: Danylo Pievchev