LAKE PLACID — As the war in Ukraine rages on, a few locals continue to plan fundraisers to help Ukrainian refugees, soldiers and civilians.
Lake Placid may be over 4,500 miles from Ukraine, but war is hitting close to home for many people living in the village. Residents like Dmitry Feld, marketing director of USA Luge, originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Yuliia Tyshevych, originally from Odessa, Ukraine and general manager of The Haus, led fundraising efforts to send supplies to Ukrainians. Local groups also organize events to raise funds for various organizations in Ukraine.
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From England to Warsaw
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Feld worked with former Lake Placid resident Viktoria Coubrough, who now lives in the UK, to send trucks with food and other supplies from the UK to Ukraine.
Feld said Coubrough contacted him a few weeks ago to ask if he knew of a shipping company in the UK that could transport supplies to people in Ukraine. They found a shipping company to transport the supplies from the UK to Ukraine via Poland, but he said Coubrough lacked funding for the shipping costs, which amount to $2,000 each way. return.
Feld told Coubrough he would harvest enough for two truck shipments. He told his friends in Lake Placid, including his friends at USA Luge, and he got an overwhelming response: the people of Lake Placid raised enough money to send at least 10 trucks to Poland and back. . He said they had already shipped five trucks and more money was coming.
Feld said the trucks contained everything from food and medical supplies to baby food, diapers and clothing. People interested in contributing to the trucking project can email Feld at dmitry@usaluge.org.
Dinners for refugees
Two dinners for Ukrainian refugees are planned for Thursday 7 April.
St. Agnes School is hosting a dinner for Ukrainian refugees from 5-7 p.m. Thursday. Dinner will be simple, said Reverend John Yonkovig of St. Agnes Church, with soup, salad and bread. Purple Sage plans to make Ukrainian borscht soup. Wyatt also plans to bring soup, and Yonkovig said local sourdough will be available. He said the church wants to get “a bit of flavor” of what the refugees who leave Ukraine experience, who probably do not have access to a full meal.
“It won’t be a luxurious evening, so to speak,” said Yonkovig.
Donations are not required, but offerings are encouraged. Yonkovig said the donations would directly support an orphanage in Kyiv, which he said feeds around 800 refugees a day and helps refugees get to safety in Poland. One of the church’s parishioners, Anna Hoyt, is currently working with refugees in Poland; his nephew works at the kyiv orphanage.
“Too often you wonder where the donations are going – how long it takes to get there, how many layers of bureaucracy have to go through – but it goes straight to them,” said Yonkovig.
St. Eustatius Episcopal Church also plans to host a dinner at 6 p.m. that evening to help the International Medical Corps in its relief efforts. Seating is limited and there is a suggested donation of $15. For more information, people can call the church at 518-523-2564.
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Florists for Peace
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Tyshevych recommended people consider taking part in a series of virtual florist design courses to benefit Ukraine called Florists for Peace. The event, which runs from April 11-16, is organized by florist Chelsea Fuss in support of Sunflowers of Peace, a non-profit organization that sends medical supplies to people fighting on the ground in Ukraine. There are nine courses priced at $37 each; people can also attend all classes for $225. Sign up at https://www.chelseafuss.com/florists-for-peace.
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Creative endeavors
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Some people in Lake Placid, like Britt Waite, a construction and planning department worker and Saranac Lake resident, are using their artistic skills to raise money for people – and animals – in Ukraine. Waite makes resin keychains for sale in her Etsy store, with proceeds going to three animal rescue organizations currently working on the ground in Ukraine: War Paws, Network for Animals and International Fund for Animal Welfare. Keychains come in different shapes, and most are blue and yellow to represent the Ukrainian flag. Those interested in supporting Waite’s efforts can visit his Etsy store at www.tinyurl.com/BearsBestWishesUkraine and select items under “For the benefit of Ukraine” tongue.
The Lake Placid Center for the Arts is hosting an online auction of Pysanky eggs, or Easter eggs painted in the traditional Ukrainian style. Local artist Sue Young, in partnership with Cedar Run Bakery, hosted classes where community members decorated eggs and donated $50 to Ukrainian relief efforts. These eggs, along with others painted by local artists, are included in the center’s auction. All proceeds from the auction will benefit World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to Ukrainian families. People can view the auction catalog at https://tinyurl.com/4n749yt6. The auction ends on April 15.
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