(Supplied: Dormition of the Mother of God Church - Eastern Cath - Grande Prairie, AB)

By Abby Zieverink

$20,000 raised for Ukraine

Local community helps Ukrainian Catholic Parish raise nearly $20K for refugees

Mar 29, 2022 | 2:31 PM

The Ukrainian perogy dinner fundraiser held on March 27 at Grande Prairie’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish was proven to be a huge success.

Roughly $20,000 was raised from donations by local community members at the door.

Father Matthew Drury says the amount of money raised was more than they could have ever imagined.

“We are absolutely astonished, we didn’t see it coming to tell you the truth,” he expressed.

“We are very grateful for the immense outpour of support financially and materially.”

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He adds they are very pleased with the attendance from the community, who came to show their support for their people in Ukraine impacted by Russian troops invading their home country.

“It was a great response by I imagine mostly the local people and area of Grande Prairie,” he said.

“For people who came in to actually enjoy our home-cooked traditional Ukrainian meal, there was close to 600 people in attendance, not counting those who came in to take out food.”

Father Matthew says the money raised with be split in a couple of ways, including a portion of funds set to stay in Alberta to help support Ukrainians fleeing their country to come to our province.

“To help them get on their feet in any ways that will soon be discovered, whether it be in terms of renting for housing, for clothing for all those basic needs for people,” he said.

“The further they flee from eastern Europe, the less they’re going to have with them.”

He explains that another portion of the funds will be sent to Ukrainians in Poland.

“We have a central headquarters in Edmonton out of the Eparchial Chancery offices and they are going to use some to be sent directly to a catholic organization here in Canada, to the Vatican, to our people on the grounds in Poland because we can’t do it directly to Ukraine, there’s no transporting any money from here to Ukraine directly so it has to go through Poland.”

Father Matthew gives an extended thank you to the Grande Prairie community for their support, and volunteers including the Church of Latter-Day Saints who helped donate additional support for music at the fundraiser.