Connecticut school collects Christmas gifts for children in Ukraine (01/02/00)

Connecticut school collects Christmas gifts for children in Ukraine

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. - Earlier this fall schoolchildren at Landmark Academy, a private school in the western Connecticut township of Ridgefield, near the New York state border, launched a massive drive to collect Christmas presents for orphans and ailing children in Ukraine.

Coordinated by a group of Landmark parents and teachers from the greater Danbury/Ridgefield area, and led by Alexandra (Lesia) Palylyk, the drive yielded over a ton of high-quality items, including winter clothing, children's shoes, stuffed animals, toys, puzzles, posters and playground equipment valued at over $25,000.

The gifts completely filled two mid-sized U-Haul trucks that were loaded on November 14 and transported to a storage site at St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church in New Haven. On December 6 the gifts were loaded by volunteers from the New Haven chapter of the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund and shipped by Meest Parcel Service to seven sites in Ukraine. The gifts are scheduled to arrive at their destinations by Christmas, which is celebrated in Ukraine according to the Julian calendar on January 7.

The beneficiaries of the shipment will include children at several orphanages and children's hospitals, including the Znamianka Orphanage in Kirovohrad Oblast. Other destinations include the Puscha Vodytsia Sanatorium for children with cancer and leukemia, located on the outskirts of Kyiv, and children's centers in the Rivne, Chernihiv and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts.

The children at Landmark were inspired to undertake the drive after viewing a brief video and presentation on the work of the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund.

"We were extremely pleased with the generous response of all these children," said Ms. Palylyk, who proposed the drive to a joint committee of faculty and parents at Landmark Academy. "I hope that our project will inspire other Ukrainian parents to organize similar drives in their communities, and get the word out about the plight of Ukrainian orphans and those children still affected by the Chornobyl disaster."

"Many of the children went out of their way to purchase new toys and clothing for their Ukrainian counterparts," said Kelly Lott, another parent who was heavily involved in the preparation of the gift packages. "The kids put a lot of thought into their gifts, and their outpouring of support was really amazing."

In addition to the school's Christmas collection, a large amount of high potency vitamins and over-the-counter medications were purchased with the help of generous cash donations, including a donation by children from the Yonkers branch of the Ukrainian American Youth Association (SUM). These vitamins were acquired with the help of Slavko Palylyk of Heritage Village Pharmacy.

Many community residents also contributed to the drive. Among these donors, the most noteworthy was Landmark parent Anita Monteith of Danbury, who took the initiative to buy over $2,000 worth of new winter coats, hats and down parkas for every child in the Znamianka Orphanage. Ms. Monteith contributed an additional $900 to help cover the cost of transporting the supplies to Ukraine.

"I wanted to do something that could really have an impact on these children's lives," said Ms. Monteith, expressing concern about the conditions in which many children and orphans are forced to live. "I've heard about the severity of winters in Eastern Europe. At least these coats should help to keep these kids warm," she added.

"We've been quite awestruck by the size and quality of this shipment," said Alex Kuzma, director of development for CCRF. "For a relatively small school, Landmark Academy has produced a very impressive mountain of cargo. What's especially heartwarming is not just the quantity but the value of these gifts in human terms. They will be touching a lot of children's lives."

Many of the toys were gift-wrapped for Christmas and accompanied by personal greeting cards and letters of encouragement from the children at Landmark Academy. Several of the orphanages designated to receive these presents teach English as a second language, and teachers and parents at Landmark Academy said they hope the shipment will stimulate an exchange of letters between pen pals in Ukraine and the United States.

Since its first airlift in 1990, the CCRF has delivered over 1,300 tons of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and diagnostic equipment to help combat the medical crisis in Ukraine, and to improve the treatment of children with cancer and other health effects linked to the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. The combined value of this cargo is estimated at $40 million. Earlier this year, the CCRF completed its 23d airlift.

| Home Page |