Church hosting Ukraine fundraiser to help families escape nightmare

Lyonel Doherty, Times-Chronicle

While citizens of Ukraine continue to suffer under Russia’s attack, church leaders in Oliver and Osoyoos refuse to stand idly by.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is sponsoring a Ukrainian benefit charity concert at Venables Theatre on Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. This event, in collaboration with the Town of Oliver and Venables Theatre, is to raise money for stricken families desperately trying to survive the siege. 

After seeing much public support for their cold weather shelter in Oliver this winter, church volunteers thought that a musical concert would garner the same generosity and compassion for Ukraine right now. 

“It’s not about being politically correct, it’s not about bullets and bombs. I wanted to help people like we did here with the cold weather shelter,” said Seventh-day Church leader Greg Thorp. Let’s get them out of the cold, let’s get them some food.”

Thorp said they are working with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to enter Ukraine villages and take people to the safety of the border.

Humanitarian aid worker Kandus Thorp (Greg’s sister-in-law) said she and her husband have travelled to Ukraine many times, the last trip being winter of 2018. She shudders to think they had stayed in a building that was recently bombed by Russian troops.

Kandus has been texting friends in the Ukraine who are completely overwhelmed by the invasion.

“All of them are saying the same thing: ‘We can’t believe this is happening, we cannot believe the devastation and the huge thrust of war power.’ They are crying all the time . . . our beautiful homeland!”

Kandus said there is an urgent need to raise funds to get people out of those heavily bombed areas and provide them with food since there is none left in some parts of the country.

In one 24-hour period, relief workers managed to get 96 people out of bomb shelters, Kandus noted.

During one trip, a van full of 17 refugees came across a Russian convoy, she pointed out. The occupants were told to wave anything white that they had.

 

 

“They rolled right past the tanks and shouted, ‘please, please’. They rolled past and nobody was injured.”

Kandus said the humanitarian link is only as strong as the local people who are personally willing to take the risk to drive those vans.  

“Every trip could be their last,” she said.

Kandus said she heard of one family that was separated when a mother and father were killed during civilian bombing. The grandmother ended up taking the child to the border.

“It’s really hard to watch, families are coming to the border and the men are having to say goodbye to their wives and children. To me that’s really heart-wrenching because they (the men) are going back into the war zone not knowing if they will ever see each other again. That’s really tough stuff, that’s raw.”

Kandus reiterated they can’t sit silently by and watch this happen, they have to make a difference for these families, for the children.

“For us there is a real face to this war. I know there are many other wars but somehow this one, at least in my own heart, has really struck (an emotional chord) and I’m not going to sit quiet.”

She noted the concert will feature two or three human-interest stories on video.

She added they are reaching out to potential corporate sponsors in the Okanagan who can help make a difference. 

As for the concert itself, it will be “amazing,” Greg said.

Kandus said the show will open up with a number of local artists, followed by music sensation Gina Williams, a rising star who represents a number of genres including pop, rock, R&B, soul, jazz, gospel and classical. 

Kandus said Williams has even worked with the symphony in Ukraine.

“We never dreamed we’d be lucky enough to get her. Her onstage presence is really engaging . . . it will be a very inspiring and fun evening.”

 

 

Greg said they are also hoping to have a silent auction in the foyer, featuring some beautiful hand-made quilts. In addition, they are working on getting some Ukraine baked goods for sale as well.

As for COVID-19 protocols, there will some in place despite the mask mandate being lifted.

“If people want to wear a mask, they are welcome to wear it . . . we don’t want to make anybody feel uncomfortable,” Greg said.

Admission to the concert is free, but it is hoped that people will donate what they can during the show.

When all is said and done, Greg is hoping the event will raise enough money to get 1,000 refugees out of Ukraine. 

Reached at her home, Gina Williams told the Times-Chronicle that Ukraine is a fabric of her life, like family.  That’s why it pains her to see the “incredibly horrible” things going on there right now.

But it warms her heart to see the churches coming together to help make a difference. 

Williams, who is also an actress, grew up listening to classical music. When she started performing, she saw the joy on people’s faces when she sung different genres.

“Why submit to one genre and be assigned to one label?” she said.

Last year she released five different albums representing five different genres. She also speaks, writes and/or performs in 12 languages.

She considers her talent a true gift from God and continues to remind others that “we are one human race, one blood and one people.”