A concert is being held in Kelowna to help children who have been impacted by the war in Ukraine.
“Children growing up not only under Russian rockets, but without their Dads,” said Svitlana Kominko, CEO and Co-founder of the Maple Hope Foundation.
The Spring of Hope Benefit Concert, being held on Feb. 29, at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, will feature renowned Paganini Virtuoso Violinist Vasyl Popadyuk, Dolyna dancers, stories of people who lived through the Russian invasion of Ukraine and an auction.
Two years ago in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking a war that has displaced more than 20 thousand Ukrainian children, said Kominko. Families had to flee their homes due to threats of violence from the ongoing war. Kominko said that some children were abducted by the Russian military, stripped of their culture and forced to live away from their families.
The Maple Hope Foundation is working to raise money through efforts like the Spring of Hope Benefit Concert, to fund rehabilitation programs for children in Ukraine that have been able to return home.
Half of the funds raised by the concert will be used by Maple Hope Foundation to provide psychological support to youth in Ukraine. The other 50 per cent will be used by Kelowna Stands with Ukraine to send medical supplies overseas.
READ MORE: Kelowna doctor shares stories from volunteering in Ukraine
More than 1000 Ukrainians who had to leave their homes have settled in the Okanagan, said Denys Storozhuk, President of Kelowna Stands With Ukraine.
The Kelowna-based organization has helped Ukrainian newcomers to the Okanagan as well as those who stayed behind to fight.
Recently, some people have been able to return to their homes, or what is left of them, in Ukraine.
Storozhuk said that people realizing that their homeland has been “deeply scarred by the ravages of war.”
In particular, the children are struggling with the destruction, constant threat of violence, and memories of their abduction said Kominko.
She said that children are in need of additional help and support.
“Most of them need psychological support and rehabilitation,” said Kominko.
The event is organized by Kelowna Stands with Ukraine Events and Okanagan 4 Ukraine Foundation, which is a new charity that will focus on helping Ukrainians living in the Okanagan.
“You’re helping just by going to the concert,” said Storozhuk. Tickets are available at rotarycentreforthearts.com.
READ MORE: Kelowna charitable group seeks medical supplies for Ukraine