The Indomitable Voices: Listening to Ukraine event was organized by Roxanne Hills, a longtime resident of Newport, Oregon. In the fall of 2023, Roxanne noticed that Ukraine had disappeared from the radar of many reputable news platforms, and the support and commitment from ordinary people to help Ukraine was dwindling. To keep Ukraine in people’s hearts and minds, Roxanne decided to act. She reached out to the Ukrainian Foundation to hold a fundraiser, which took place at the Newport Performing Arts Center.
The event provided a safe platform for the Ukrainian community in Oregon to voice their most urgent needs, share stories of Ukrainian refugees, read poetry, sing songs, and dance traditional Ukrainian dance. Attendees could also send encouraging thoughts to Ukrainian soldiers on the front line. Ukrainian artists from Portland and Salem presented three traditional art workshops, and the children’s dance collective, Chervona Kalyna, organized and taught by the talented duo from Kyiv, Olena and Nazar Zyukov, performed, charming the guests.
Roxanne shared her insight, saying that the event was for the children, and it was critical for the war to end as soon as possible so that they could have their childhood back. She also enjoyed hearing people speak Ukrainian, saying that the language was melodic and beautiful. Olga and Anna from Newport baked scrumptious Ukrainian cookies for the event, celebrating and supporting Ukraine, its people, and its culture.
The Ukrainian Foundation expressed gratitude to everyone who made the event possible, stating that the donations allowed them to purchase high-quality tourniquets, including junction tourniquets, and send them to their partner organization in Ukraine, Піклуюсь I Care, for delivery to defenders on the frontline.
A big Thank You to our sponsors, supporters, and contributors:
Roxanne Hills
F. Gerald Brown & Nancy S. Brown
SJ Custom Jewelers LLC
Lyubov Gonina
Maryana Mysyak
Olena & Nazar Zyukov
Chervona Kalyna Children’s Dance Collective
Tetyana Horner
Tetiana Pytel
Tetyana Zelyanovska
Tatiana Terdal
