FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/4/2022
RISE UP UKRAINE BLENDS DANCING AND FOOD IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE
Areté Dance Center Director: Kristina Mola: (408) 824-0074
Epicurean Group Marketing Manager: Marta Tkalcevic: (650) 209-2878
Nova Ukraine Rep (volunteer): Sarah McClammy: (650) 380-1154
The Ukraine war left Kristina and Yuir Kuvshynov feeling helpless. Co-owners of Areté Dance Studio in Los Altos, a number of their employees, students, and coaches are Ukrainian. Yuriy is originally from Kyiv and his grandmother still lives there. Some of their teachers and students have family still in Ukraine, and others have family members who have left as refugees.
Luckily, a chance March meeting at a restaurant in Los Altos ignited an instantaneous solution. While The Song Gardeners played an emotional rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine, the audience of community members, groups and business suddenly aligned into action. An impromptu event committee was born: Areté Dance Center, Green Town Los Altos (Margie Suozzo) Epicurean Group (Mary Clark Bartlett) Mary Gospe, Rosalee Norona, Corinne Landphere, and Sarah McClammy would host Rise Up Ukraine! April 30, 2022, a benefit for nonprofit Nova Ukraine, which provides humanitarian aid to and raises awareness about Ukraine. See link here: https://novaukraine.org/
Epicurean Group provided food stations of handmade Ginger Pork dumplings, BBQ Sliders, and Ukrainian specialty baked goods such as Honey Babka and Kiev Cake, a traditional dessert with a unique crunch of slow baked meringue sandwiched between soft sponge cake layers, hazelnuts, and buttercream frosting. Local wineries donated and a silent auction featured original Ukrainian-themed art, foods, and dance classes. The Viennese waltz was performed to the Ukrainian song Тримай (Trymay or hold on) followed by a lesson in Hopak (гопати or to hop), the Ukrainian national dance, taught to the lively crowd. The Song Gardeners returned with live music while guests, some clad in Vyshyvankas, the traditional embroidered shirt, clicked heels and hopped together as one, linking arms and raising them up high to honor and support the people of Ukraine. The event inspired everyone with high-energy dance, art, food and culture. “I wanted to do something about Ukraine, so I looked on Event Bright and this looked really fun,” said a Rise Up guest. “I brought three friends – this is such a moving event.”
As the war continues with no end in sight, Nova Ukraine will continue to provide basic supplies and refugee support. They’ve shipped over 65 metric tons of medical supplies to Ukraine and raised over $15M, since April ’22. Rise Up Ukraine raised over $22,320. Please join in support: https://novaukraine.crowdchange.co/25739
