Organized on borscht notice
Their ties to Ukraine are different, but their goals are very much the same: to raise money to send to the embattled country, and possibly educate and illuminate people along the way.
Shannon Heisler and Cathleen Vestfals’ fundraiser, “From the Oregon Coast to Ukraine, with Love!” will be held this Saturday, April 23, at the Elks Lodge in Newport.
The event will feature authentic Ukrainian food, including cabbage rolls and borscht cooked using Vestfals’ family recipes.
“Cathleen’s grandparents were removed from the Ukraine and put into a displaced persons camp in Germany before they moved to Canada,” Heisler said. “She learned to make cabbage rolls and borscht from her grandmother.”
Live music will be provided live by local jazz band The Patios, and there will also be recorded Ukrainian dance music.
The sit-down dinner will also have sweets made by Heisler and options for vegetarians.
“I’m making a honeysuckle cake and Easter paska,” she said. “There will also be pyrizhky and potato dumplings.”
Heisler is an online ESL teacher who started her own school at the end of 2020.
“I began teaching Ukrainian people I met while they were here in Newport, so this is who I am sending the money to,” she said. “We are working with the non-profit United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, but I’ve also sent money directly to families in need. I’ve been working with one of my students, who mentioned that in their city they were out of cancer medication. So we sent him money and he drove to Odessa to get some and brought it back.”
They are also trying to raise funds for body armor, which Heisler says is controversial, but necessary.
“The Russians have been targeting hospitals, medical personnel and ambulances,” she said. “Because of that, body armor has now been classified as humanitarian aid.”
A silent auction during the event will feature Ukrainian items and donations from local businesses and artisans including jewelry, art, gift baskets and homemade items.
The event begins at 5:30 pm. Tickets for the dinner are $20 and are available by calling Heisler at 757-818-1823, emailing Shannon.whateverenglish@gmail.com, or at the door. The Newport Elks Club is located at 45 SE Moore Drive.