A colourful Easter egg workshop in Niagara-on-the-Lake raised over $5,000 on Sunday to help Ukrainian children affected by war.
Local organizer Christyna Prokipchuk hosted 16 people at her Old Town home on April 13 for STEPPE UP for Ukraine to support the “Easter Gifts for the Children of Ukraine” campaign through Help Us Help.
The intimate event featured a masterclass in creating traditional Ukrainian Pysanky eggs, guided by professional artist Lydia Tkachuk.
Prokipchuk emphasized the importance of expanding community awareness about ongoing humanitarian needs in Ukraine.
“Obviously, the goal is to raise funds, but a close second goal is to keep the awareness up of what’s going on and to grow the network of people who are interested,” said Prokipchuk.
Help Us Help’s campaign provides new toys and cultural workshops to orphaned Ukrainian children during Easter.
The campaign received around 850 toys donated through the “Unite With Ukraine” initiative, and funds raised locally help support additional educational and cultural activities.
“It’s beautiful, relaxing, you sit around a table bonding with other people, and you learn about a culture,” said Prokipchuk.
STEPPE UP for Ukraine, active since 2022, has raised more than $200,000 for humanitarian aid. Its flagship summer cycling event returns on Aug. 9.
“The first year we did the cycling event, we raised over $100,000,” said Prokipchuk.
She said she is open to hosting another Pysanka fundraiser this spring if there is enough community interest.
Prokipchuk expressed thankfulness to Atomic Heating & Cooling Ltd., whose sponsorship covered event supplies.
Interested community members are invited to participate or volunteer in future events by contacting steppeupforukraine1@gmail.com.
