OTTAWA – The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) congratulated Ruslana Wrzesnewskyj and Andy Cottrell on receiving the prestigious Meritorious Service Medal from the governor general of Canada, David Johnston, at Rideau Hall on December 11, 2015.
Ms. Wrzesnewskyj and Mr. Cottrell received the medal for initiating Help Us Help the Children, a project dedicated to improving the quality of life for orphaned children in Ukraine. As noted in a press release from the Governor General’s Office: “Over the years, they have provided Ukrainian youth in institutional care with access to school supplies, educational camps and scholarship programs. Their efforts empowered many Ukrainian children to better their lives.” Thousands of children in Ukraine have benefited directly from programs of Help Us Help the Children in the two decades since its founding in 1994.
UCC National President Paul Grod stated, “On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community, I offer my sincere congratulations to Ruslana and Andy on receiving this award. Their tireless determination and resolve are a wonderful example to us all of what can be achieved when we dedicate ourselves to volunteerism, charity and service.”
Ms. Wrzesnewskyj and Mr. Cottrell said they were honored to receive this recognition from the governor general. “We humbly receive this award on behalf of the hundreds of volunteers who have worked so hard to make Help Us Help the Children a success. We thank the Ukrainian community in Canada, which has so strongly supported this project for the past two decades,” they said in a joint statement.
“It is because of Canada that we have learned the true meaning of giving back to the community. Through the efforts of our volunteers and donors, thousands of orphans in Ukraine have grown up to become successful members of Ukraine’s society,” they noted.
The Meritorious Service Medal “recognizes a deed or an activity that has been performed in a highly professional manner, or according to a very high standard; often innovative, this deed or activity sets an example for others to follow, improves the quality of life of a community and brings benefit or honor to Canada.”
For more information on Help Us Help the Children, readers may go to http://huhtc.org/.