Kontakt telethon benefits children's charity (01/07/96)

Kontakt telethon benefits children's charity

by Andrij Wynnyckyj
Toronto Press Bureau

TORONTO - The Toronto wing of North America's growing Ukrainian television program, "Kontakt," on December 17, 1995, staged what executive producer Jurij Klufas called "the first ever Ukrainian live on-air telethon" in support of Help Us Help the Children's charitable effort to assist those living in Ukraine's orphanages.

The telethon was held at the city's multicultural radio and television station, CHIN, and was hosted by "Kontakt's" Ola Szczuryk. The afternoon program helped maintain the high profile the HUHC has labored mightily to acquire, starting with effective grass-roots work with the needy in Ukraine.

HUHC activists Greg Ciupka, Roman Dubczak and Mirka Bojeczko helped man the phones. During the program's all-too-brief hour, the lines were jammed with callers, and so another phone-in was held during "Kontakt's" regular program on December 24.

Nevertheless, totals for the first day's sessions topped $60,000, and at press time they were reported to be at about $73,000.

Though not a marathon affair with a big donation display in the Jerry Lewis style, the telethon was rated a success by organizers. Mr. Klufas was heartened by the response. "Any time you do something for the first time, you're happy with what you get. Our phone lines were jammed, and we were asked to run it again the next week."

The telethon consisted of interviews with HUHC staff; outtakes from the HUHC video providing information about its activities, their cost and purview; and entertainment provided by Darka and Slavko Halatyn of New York, Mirka (Bojeczko) and Ola (Cholkan), and a special segment of the "Titka Kvitka" children's program.

A volunteer-driven non-profit program affiliated with the Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund, the HUHC's activists have personally delivered over 150 tons of purchased and/or donated goods valued at an estimated $3 million (Canadian) since its inception in 1992.

The latest of its biannual shipment tours traveled to 78 orphanages and eight hospitals and rehabilitation clinics throughout western, central and eastern Ukraine in November 1995, accompanied by 14 Canadian volunteers. The HUHC has delivered medical supplies and equipment, toys, clothing and footwear to over 20,000 of the country's institutionalized children, whose numbers, according to Ukrainian government estimates, top 50,000.

On the air, CCCF President and HUHC Project Coordinator Ruslana Wrzesnewsky explained that the high total comes from high mortality rates of adults, the rising number of both detects due to the environmental crisis (of which Chornobyl is only an element), and severe impoverishment that has led many parents to leave their children at orphanages for a few years as they try to stabilize their lives.

Mykola Palijchuk, an HUHC volunteer from Ukraine currently visiting Canada, explained the planning process involved in selecting routes, with the aim of visiting as many orphanages as possible and spending an appreciable amount of time at each facility.

Later in the broadcast, Ms. Wrzesnewsky explained that there is full accountability for the aid provided in that HUHC volunteers travel in truck and bus convoys to each site. Visits are unscheduled, regular inventories are conducted, and in many cases volunteers dress children from head to toe in donated and purchased clothing.

She also added that the HUHC has a Kyiv office, whose staffers are instructed to go on periodic trips to target institutions to ensure that aid is being properly administered.

Other HUHC officials appearing on the telethon included Raisa Juchymenko and Irene Holubiec (who heads the medical committee).

The telethon was seeded by advance donations from Bishop Yurij Kalishchuk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, Toronto Eparchy, and his Ukrainian Catholic counterpart, Bishop Isidore Borecky, who offered their donations and blessings to HUHC's Darka Hensierowska.

Footage was also shown of the HUHC's Winn Kuplowsky receiving a gift from the students and staff of St. Sophia School in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Ukraine's consul general in Toronto, Serhiy Borovyk, came to the CHIN building to offer a donation on behalf of the mission.

Among the heavy hitters in the donation department were the D. Kindy Professional Corp. ($3,000), the Montreal branch of the Ukrainian National Federation ($3,200). Brantford Village Ukraina, the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League in Mississauga ($4,000) and St. Andrew's Orthodox Church ($4,500). The largest single donor was Jaroslawa Szafraniuk, who brought a majestic gift of $25,000, and was interviewed by Ms. Szczuryk.

Ms. Wrzesnewsky also was satisfied with the telethon, but reminded potential donors that each visit to Ukraine to assist its needy children involves expenditures of up to $250.000.

Help Us Help the Children may be reached at 1555 Bloor St. W., Toronto, Ontario M6P IA5; telephone, (416) 532-2223; fax, (416) 588-2696.

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