A fundraiser is taking place Sunday at the Brechin Legion to help Ukrainian refugees now living in Ramara Township.
The Ramara Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Brechin Legion to host a pancake breakfast and silent auction from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Janet Lee, an organizer of the event, says attendees will have a chance to win Blue Jays tickets, among other prizes, while enjoying a tasty meal.
“We are serving pancakes, sausage, juice, or water,” she said, noting the food has been donated by Brechin Foodland, while the syrup has been donated by The Farmgate, Shaw’s Maple Syrup, and The Roost.
Breakfast will be served to all community members who make a cash donation when they arrive. All money raised will be divided between four Ukrainian families living in Ramara.
“We would like to have 200 people come out to support” the cause, Lee said. “I would like to hit $5,000 raised. That would be wonderful for these families.”
She says the money would help the families establish their lives in Canada and also send funds to help family members at home enduring the war.
“It’s a wonderful cause,” Lee said. “A lot of these families want to save so they can return home when it’s safe.”
She says Brechin has always been a generous community when it comes to helping people in need.
“Some of these people who are here have lost their husbands and sons, who stayed back home to fight,” she said. “This goes to show that we are so lucky to live in the country we do and are able to help these people.”
Nataliia Miroshnychenko, 36, is one of the Ukrainian refugees who will benefit from the event Sunday. She and her two children fled Sumy, Ukraine, in June.
Miroshnychenko says the fundraising efforts warm her heart.
“The people here in Canada are so amazing,” she said. “Everyone is trying to help and it’s really nice to see.”
When she moved to Canada, she left her husband behind. He is back home, fighting the war against Russia, she said.
“It’s really hard for us to come here while he’s at war,” she said. “We are just hoping that everything will be OK.”
