Growing Support for Vegreville and Area Stands With Ukraine
Michelle Pinon
News Advertiser
Vegreville resident Curtis Zorniak has strong ties to the Ukraine and has family and friends who are still in that country.
Zorniak currently serves as financial chairperson with the Vegreville and Area Stands with Ukraine, and knows firsthand that the money is going to Humanitarian Aid.
A couple of months ago Zorniak’s shop classes and Ms. Elizabeth Plain’s Art classes at JR Robson School in Vermilion began producing Stand With Ukraine t-shirts and stickers which are available for purchase at the Vegreville & District Chamber of Commerce in Vegreville.
Zorniak is very grateful to the students, who he said, “have shown amazing spirit and empathy during this unbelievable time.”
Chamber of Commerce General Manager Roxane Bordyniuk said they began selling the t-shirts and stickers March 24 and had sold 25 t-shirts as of May 6. She expects to sell many more in the near future as interest and support for the campaign continues to grow.
Bordyniuk said some of the t-shirts have even made their way to Nova Scotia courtesy of Vegreville Mayor Tim MacPhee. Vegreville News Advertiser Advertising and Special Promotions Specialist Craig Horon dropped by the Chamber of Commerce office late last week to purchase his own special t-shirt.
Horon said, “I stand with Ukraine. Anything we can do to help them. I am Ukrainian and I stand behind Ukraine and my fellow people.”
Mayor Tim MacPhee thinks this area has the largest Ukrainian population outside of Ukraine. He told CBC during a recent interview, “I’m very proud of our heritage here and that’s what we’re about here, the Vegreville and Area Stands With Ukraine Committee.
The Committee will be holding its upcoming ‘Pyrohy For Peace’ fundraising dinner, and Zorniak is very excited about the event that is expected to garner a lot of support. Upwards to 1,000 people are expected to take part in the fundraiser which has been slated for May 18 in Vegreville.
Zorniak is also the President of the Vegreville Cultural Association “Vegreville Pysanka Festival” and they have a 50/50 raffle going on until May 20 with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Vegreville and Area Stands with Ukraine.