Shepherdstown community makes a difference with Ukrainian relief effort
Thank you Shepherdstown. Your generosity has never been in doubt, but you outdid yourself over the last few weeks, in helping raise more than $10,000 for Ukraine relief.
Thank you for coming to the Rally for Ukraine at The Wall in late February. Fifty or more souls raised yellow and blue banners and cheered, while supporting folks drove by and honked.
Thank you to the organizers of the “We Stand with Ukraine” two-weekend fundraiser at Evolve: Jan Hafer, Elise Baach, Kim Lowry and Bill Neufeld. Thanks to all who donated art, antiques and beautiful decorator items for the fundraiser’s rummage sale. Thank you to all the buyers who paid for their purchases, selecting among three Ukrainian outreach organizations to give their donations in payment for their purchases: Save the Children, World Central Kitchen and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. All proceeds went to these three groups.
Thank you to all who made the “Celebrate Ukraine “ chef-made and potluck dinner on the night of April 1 such a huge success, starting with Mark Kohut, who planned the event. Chef John Meekerand Cari Simon presided over the kitchen. A big thanks goes to you many cooks out there who pleaded ignorance when it came to cooking anything Ukrainian, yet dug deep and came up with several kinds of borscht, hundreds and hundreds of handmade pierogis (thank you, Hali Taylor), kugel, haluska, cabbage rolls, Kielbasa, cabbage soup, dark bread and all manner of delicious dishes — a Cossack feast that fed over 100 people. Thank you to the diners for their extremely generous donations to Save the Children, Razom and the Universal Reading Foundation.
And, as a lingering reminder of your generosity, see the now iconic “Stand with Ukraine” sunflower posters all over town — a creation of Ray Smock, who donated many copies to be posted in support of Ukraine. Thanks to all.
Nancy Stewart, of Shepherdstown