A Sunflower festival raised $20,000 for Ukraine, which organizers say is enough money to make a significant difference in the lives of over 750 Ukrainians.
The Sunflower Fundraiser for Ukraine was held on May 1 at Heritage Hills in Okanagan Falls. The $20,000 will fund five round trips of buses into Ukraine, said festival organizer Jennifer Martison in a press release.
“The buses will be loaded with humanitarian aid on the way in and will return to the border with displaced Ukrainians, 150 at a time. The cost has been calculated at $27.00 per ride,” she said.
Local wineries and artists donated items to a silent auction and wine raffle. Musicians Will Schlackl, of the group Jack and Jill, and Joshua Smith performed at the event.
Attendees also had the opportunity to sample several food trucks and local vendors donated a portion of their sales.
Martison said that she felt passionately that she needed to do something tangible to help the people of Ukraine.
“It quickly grew to something much bigger, with hundreds in the local community generously contributing their efforts and donations to the successful event,” she said.
The Ukrainian Canadian Volunteers Association was there to collect contact information for those considering hosting people or volunteering in other capacities to help displaced Ukrainians arriving in British Columbia over the next few months.