Boston Club donates $10,000 to CCRF (10/27/96)

Boston Club donates $10,000 to CCRF

JAMAICA PLAIN, Mass. - The Ukrainian American Educational Citizens Club of Boston has made a donation of $10,000 in support of the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund, a leading U.S. charity that provides humanitarian and medical aid to the victims of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. The donation was made to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 1986 accident that spewed massive amounts of radiation across the Ukrainian countryside and across much of northern and eastern parts of Europe.

The donation was made at the August meeting of the organization's board of directors. Speaking on behalf of the Citizens Club, President Lenny Grintchenko of Needham stated: "We wanted to show our support for the ongoing efforts of CCRF which has an impressive track record in Ukraine."

Receiving the check on behalf of CCRF was the fund's director of development, Alex Kuzma. He said: "We are deeply grateful for this timely and generous gift from the UAECC. We want to assure the members and the board that we will do everything in our power to maximize the impact of this donation on the health and the lives of children in Ukraine."

Mr. Kuzma explained that a portion of the Boston donation has already been earmarked for a shipment of hemophilia medicine valued at $192,000. Another portion is being used to modernize a neonatal intensive care unit in the city of Dnipropetrovsk.

CCRF's most recent audit shows that for every dollar donated to CCRF last year, the fund leveraged more than $18 worth of medical aid for Ukraine, making it one of the most cost-efficient charities serving Eastern Europe.

The Ukrainian American Educational Citizens Club was established in 1932 to promote Ukrainian cultural and charitable activities in the Boston area. Its members have been strongly supportive of the Chornobyl relief mission as more information about the scope of the disaster has emerged.

CCRF has mounted several successful fund-raising drives through its chapter in Boston/Cambridge which has worked to raise awareness about the continuing effects of Chornobyl through community forums, vigils and receptions.

The president of CCRF, Dr. Zenon Matkiwsky, began his medical practice in the Hyde Park section of Boston and the fund has maintained close ties to the Ukrainian community of Greater Boston. Dr. Matkiwsky and his wife, Nadia, were recently hailed as "Local Heroes" in the July 14 edition of Time Magazine for their outstanding work in support of Chornobyl victims.

Since 1990, CCRF has organized 16 major airlifts, delivering more than 1,000 tons of medical aid valued at $40 million. The fund received considerable support from donors in the Boston area after it sponsored a young leukemia victim, Vova Malofienko, who came to the United States to undergo treatment at the Boston Floating Hospital.

Now 11 years old, he has been in remission since 1993. In May of this year, Mr. Malofienko delivered a speech at a special White House ceremony hosted by Vice-President Al Gore and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton marking the Chornobyl anniversary. Speaking on behalf of all Chornobyl survivors, Mr. Malofienko thanked the American groups and individuals who have been involved in the Chornobyl relief effort. He also pleaded for the continuation of humanitarian efforts serving the fallout region.

Recent health studies have shown that Chornobyl continues to have a major impact on public health in Ukraine and Belarus, the two countries hardest hit by radioactive fallout. The World Health Organization has reported that the rate of thyroid cancer among children living near contaminated regions has risen to levels 80 to 100 times higher than normal. A Japanese study found that birth defects in Belarus have doubled. In July of this year, the prestigious British science journal Nature published the alarming results of a study which showed that leukemia in children in Greece has doubled since 1986 as a result of exposure to Chornobyl's fallout.

CCRF has been a leading provider of leukemic and thyroid medicine. Together with the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, it installed the first U.S.-built Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system in Kyiv, providing early detection and state-of-the-art diagnosis for cancer patients. In 1995, the fund received its first grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development and delivered more than $5.5 million worth of cancer medication on a budget of $350,000.

To join the Boston/Cambridge Chapter of CCRF, interested parties are urged to call Christina Slywotzky, (617) 864-1838. For more information on the activities of the national Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund, readers are urged to call (201) 376-5140, or to send an e-mail message to [email protected]

To join the Ukrainian American Educational Citizens' Club of Boston, readers should contact Mr. Grintchenko, (617) 444-9205.