ESTEVAN - Members of Ukrainian community in Estevan are inviting the public to come out for a supper on April 3 that will assist people back in Ukraine.
The supper will be served from 4-7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. For $20 per plate, supporters will enjoy a Ukrainian meal with homemade perogies, cabbage rolls, sausage, borsch and a bun.
“We are making all of the food ourselves,” said Khrystyna Vasylkiv, who is one of the organizers of the event. “We’ll be happy to see all of the people that will come.”
She believes it was important to do something for those in Ukraine. Vasylkiv and her sister have been collecting items, such as clothing and non-perishable food items, to be sent to Ukraine because of the uncertainty in the country.
“It was a community decision to do a supper fundraiser. This way I think more people will be aware of what’s actually happening in Ukraine, and that way we will reach out to the community.”
Vasylkiv wants to create as much awareness as possible locally about the current situation in Ukraine, she said.
They have been gathering items on a regular basis to prepare the food, starting with perogies and then moving onto cabbage rolls. As the event draws closer, they will prepare the borsch.
She believes they have made around 3,000 perogies.
“We get together during the meal prep and at least everyone can feel that they’re doing something to help,” she said.
Items such as candles will be for sale at the dinner to raise money for the people in Ukraine. They will have a separate table with a Ukrainian dessert that people are welcome to purchase.
Planning came together in about two weeks, and everyone has done their part to help make this event happen.
All of the Ukrainians in Estevan have family and friends back home, she said. It’s very sad what’s happening, and she wanted to do more than reading about what’s happening and feeling sad.
Once the supper is finished, Vasylkiv said they would look at having another event or looking for another way to help people in Ukraine. The war is still going on in the country, and innocent people are dying, including children. Other people have lost their homes during the war.
“Every day I’m waking, and my biggest wish is for the war to stop. There’s absolutely no reason why this is happening in the first place, and it’s very sad to be far away from friends and people you know, and knowing what they’re going through,” said Vasylkiv.
The local Ukrainian community wants people in Ukraine to know they’re not alone and that people in Canada and around the world support them.
Vasylkiv paid tribute to the people in Estevan and elsewhere for their support. A lot of businesses are helping out.
“Every single Ukrainian we talk to is very happy being here, and people here are very nice and very sincere. They help us out and it’s been great,” she said.
