The Rotary Club of Greeneville will host a Ukrainian dinner and art auction to benefit individuals in war-torn Ukraine on April 21, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at the Tusculum University Niswonger Commons (Chalmers Center).
The event will feature food, artwork, music and a keynote address, all with Ukrainian themes. Individual tickets are $50. Table sponsorships are also available for $500, including seating for eight people.
Proceeds will benefit Restore Ukraine (restore-ukraine.org), a “dual-country non-profit organization providing shelter and aid to the victims of the war,” said Yaro Hnatusko, the guest speaker.
Hnatusko, a Ukrainian student at East Tennessee State University, co-founded Restore Ukraine with his brother Stan, an executive with Ukraine’s largest wholesale distributor of building materials.
“Donations will go directly to people on the ground in Ukraine,” said Yaro Hnatusko.
David Varney, event chairman for the Rotary Club, said, “After learning about Restore Ukraine and hearing Yaro’s story personally, we wanted to help!”
In addition to coordinating the dinner and art event, the Rotary Club of Greeneville will match event proceeds, up to an additional $2,500.
Varney said the buffet meal will include Chicken Kiev, stuffed peppers (both with and without meat), loaded baked potatoes, Ukrainian Olivier Salad, beet salad and more. Dessert will be Syrniki, Ukrainian cheese pancakes, served with crème fraiche, berries and other toppings.
The silent auction will feature artwork “delivered to Greeneville from the frontlines of the full-scale war” in Ukraine, Hnatusko added.
“The painters who donated their masterpieces to Restore Ukraine are confident that art and creativity in Ukraine have changed forever,” Hnatusko said. “This is a unique touch to the Ukrainian art and heritage that Restore Ukraine secured for the residents of Greene County.”
Founded in February 2022, Restore Ukraine has raised $2.1 million for humanitarian projects to restore shattered communities in Ukraine, he said. It has distributed 650,000 pounds of food, distributed 198,000 pounds of hygiene products, allocated 1.76 million pounds of construction materials, rebuilt 59 apartments and renovated a bomb shelter, which was “handed over to local operators.”
To reserve tickets for the Ukrainian dinner and art auction event, contact Rotary Club President-Elect David Varney at dev2063@gmail.com. The reservation deadline is April 20.
