As the devastating images continue to pour in from Ukraine, support for the Eastern European country continues to ramp up in Kingston, this time at local schools and at a downtown restaurant.
Staff and students at both Catholic high schools in Kingston, including Holy Cross Secondary School, held fundraisers as well as a prayer for peace and a moment of silence Tuesday.
Student and event co-organizer of the event Shaelynn Johnston said when they were brainstorming about the moment of silence, the students all agreed to face east.
“When we were talking about the time, we figured that 2:24, two minutes and 24 seconds, would be good to commemorate the date that the initial attack was struck on Ukraine,” said Johnston.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started on Feb. 24, 2022.
Holy Cross student Christopher Tyler, who also organized the event with Johnston, said he wasn’t expecting for the moment of silence to be as powerful as it felt.
“I knew we were going to have people who took it seriously, I knew that we were going to have people who stayed silent and really cared for the cause, but seeing an entire school, an entire population be dead silent for that entire time was really amazing,” said Tyler.
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Money raised will go to the Mayor’s Fund for students from Ukraine.
Along with Kingston schools, Amadeus Cafe on Princess Street is showing support for Ukraine, too.
Owner Brian Breitwieser is getting ready for a special Wednesday at the restaurant, bringing back its Chicken Kyiv to show support.
“We took it off our menu probably about 10 years ago and we’ve had it on special here and there but this seemed like the perfect time to bring it back and a lot of regulars are loving the idea of having it again,” said Breitwieser.
Breitwieser says the proceeds from the meals will be donated to the Red Cross and other Ukrainian relief efforts.
Breitwieser says helping others is just the Canadian and even the Kingston way.
“Everytime it seems somebody is down or something has gone wrong, Kingston really seems to jump on board for everything, and it showed this time. The emails in support were overwhelming,” said Breitwieser.
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