A group of Prince Albert residents raising money for the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation hope twice is nice when they host their second fundraising dinner on Saturday.
The first fundraising dinner held in late March raised roughly $17,000 for non-lethal military, medical, and humanitarian aid groups active in Ukraine.
Group spokesman Taras Kachkowski said they’re hoping to see that support continue this weekend.
“I won’t say surprised, but we were pleased that the success of the previous event was what it was,” Kachkowski said on Tuesday. “As long as the war goes on, there will unfortunately continue to be a need to support both the charity we’re supporting, and also more humanitarian ventures.”
There are some changes to Saturday’s fundraising dinner, the biggest of which is the location. The March event was held at the St. George Ukrainian Church Hall, but this Saturday they’ve moved to Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Third Avenue East. Kachkowski said they wanted to expand the dinners to other parts of the community to get more people involved.
Holy Trinity’s hall is smaller than the one in St. George, so there will be no silent auction. Organizers are also encouraging residents to use the drive-thru option if possible.
“There are a variety of reasons—COVID and mobility issues—that made the drive-thru option the more popular option,” Kachkowski said about their last fundraising dinner. “There is limited seating available, if someone does want to come and eat on sight, but like I say, we’re emphasizing the drive-thru option more than sitting in.”
The menu is the other change. The March meal focused on traditional Ukrainian foods like cabbage rolls. Kackkowski said perogies will still be available on Saturday, but they’ve expanded to include turkey, bison roast, beef roast, gravy, and other food options.
“It’s still a hearty meal,” he said with a chuckle.
Ukrainian forces have pushed back on Russian troops in recent weeks, retaking some territory lost in the initial invasion. Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Larisa Galadza, told the CBC on Tuesday Ukrainians were ‘turning the tide’ in a number of spots across the country, but added it was still too early to predict how the war would end.
Kackowski is one of many Prince Albert residents with friends and family living in Ukraine. He said recent developments are a good sign, but added he’s still concerned about the people he knows caught up in the middle of it.
“Our thoughts are with our friends and family over there who are having to suffer through everything, for sure,” he said.
“As long as the war keeps raging on, the need (for support) is still there. Obviously, we hope the conflict ends soon, but until it does we’re supporting our friends and family and the troops over there.”
The Prince Albert Ukrainian Fundraising Supper runs from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Tickets are available for $50 each at Harold’s Family Food and Ukreations in the Gateway Mall.