As the war in Ukraine reaches its second month, the London Ukrainian Centre is hosting a benefit concert to help those fleeing and displaced by the invasion.
The Benefit Concert for Ukraine will be hosted at the London Ukrainian Centre at 247 Adelaide St. S., London, Ont., at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, with doors opening at 1 p.m.
“We are just very excited to present the community with a glimpse into our culture, our cuisine and, welcome everybody to attend, not only to support a great cause, but for us to be able to showcase what talented children dancers we have, what talented performers we have, and what a vibrant and an amazing country we come from,” says Luba Waplak, a committee member helping organize the concert.
“This war continues to ravage Ukraine. It hasn’t stopped. The awareness at the beginning of the war was quite prevalent on the news and social media. This hasn’t stopped.”
Like many involved in helping with humanitarian aid, Waplak has family still in Ukraine, who she says are in the country’s western region trying to help those in the harder-hit areas. She keeps in touch with them constantly to try and make sure they have “all the support they need to stay in their home country.”
For Waplak and other members of the Ukrainian community, events like this are vital to keep what’s happening fresh in people’s minds and to help those who have lost so much in such a short period.
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The afternoon will feature performances from local artists from the London and Toronto areas, Ukrainian food, merchandise, and a silent auction.
General admission is $25, with student admission $15. There will also be a craft corner for kids, and tickets for those under 12 are free.
“The money being raised will be going towards the London Ukrainian Centre’s humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine,” Waplak says.
“We distribute funds to the areas that need it the most to purchase medical supplies for humanitarian efforts, as well as for the refugees that are going to be coming into our city as we prepare to welcome them.”
Some refugees have already started to arrive in London, but Waplak expects more to come in May, noting that most are mothers and children.
People can purchase tickets for the Benefit Concert for Ukraine online and more details on the event’s Facebook page.
For those wanting to help refugees arriving in the community, the London Ukrainian Humanitarian Action (LUHA) working group has partnered with the London Cross-Cultural Learner Centre to set up support for those fleeing Ukraine.
The group has set up a fund for Londoners to donate money to international students impacted by the war and Ukrainian refugees arriving in London. People who contribute to the fund will be provided with a tax receipt.
LUHA is a group of volunteers focused on coordinating humanitarian efforts in the London area for those impacted by the war in Ukraine.
The group is also helping to organize places for people to stay and jobs once they arrive.
More details on the fund can be found on the London Ukrainian Humanitarian Action Facebook page.
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