The City of Belleville calls itself The Friendly City but Saturday it was all about compassion and generosity as Russia continued its invasion of Ukraine.
Quinte News spoke with Myroslava Symonenko, who along with co-organizer Corinne Sykes, put together an event in just a few short days to see what items they could gather to send to those suffering in Ukraine.
They thought they might need to borrow a pickup truck or two to haul the stuff away. They were very wrong.
Symonenko says when they arrived at Market Square to set up, there were already bags full of items for donation.
And at the end of the event at 2 p.m. the stage and area in front of it was packed with bags and boxes containing clothing, medical supplies and other items. Symonenko, who is Ukrainian, couldn’t believe it.
(Photo: Quinte News)
“I’m super overwhelmed by this you know I didn’t expect it. I’m like, heartwarmed!!”
She said the event has helped her focus on something because otherwise she’d just be sitting at home crying, adding her mother in Ukraine is doing okay despite air raid sirens blasting most of the day. She managed to get out and buy medicine for people in need.
And speaking to a crowd of close to 200 people at the event’s close Symonenko said one of her grandfathers, a poet, was censored and beaten by Soviet Union officials while the other was an avowed Ukrainian nationalist who was arrested and sent to Kazakhstan to perform back-breaking labour for 10 years because of his beliefs.
Mackenzie Williams waves the Ukrainian flag. (Photo: Quinte News)
“We believe we are civilized but look at what is happening in my country now. It’s regular people who do the most to help us. Regular people are helping because we know it is wrong in these modern times to take land by invading it and killing people, old, young, whoever!”
“Thank you Belleville. You have a city with a grand soul with huge compassion! We just want to live in peace.”
Corrine Sykes told the crowd that companies such as Purolator had stepped up to help. Volunteers by the dozens had signed up and she praised the City of Belleville itself for making it so easy to quickly organize the event, even donating the sound system on which the Ukrainian national anthem was played.
The city also donated warehouse space for storage, and allowed the fairgrounds to be used as a staging ground.
There may be another similar event for donations scheduled in the near future.
Event organizers Corrine Sykes (left) and Myroslava Symonenko. (Photo: Quinte News)
Camila Farina, 8, makes a monetary donation during a support for Ukraine event.(Photo: Amanda Smith/Quinte News)
