OLIVEBRIDGE, NY — On Sunday, September 22 from 12 noon to 4 p.m., the Ashokan Center will host Ukrainian Community Day, a new event and celebration of Ukrainian culture. 

The event will feature a diverse lineup of Ukrainian music including the Ukrainian Village Voices, singer Maria Sonevytsky, bandura player/singer Olya Fryz, and Eva Salina, the founder of Driftwood Chorus.

Activities will include Ukrainian folk medicine plant walks, dance instruction, hands-on workshops showcasing Ukrainian potters and artists working in wool spinning and weaving. 

According to the Ukrainian American Youth Association of the Hudson Valley, there are nearly 500,000 Ukrainians in New York, and many live in the Hudson Valley. And there are over 3,000 refugees here who fled the war-torn country, all leaving loved ones behind and families torn apart. 

“The natural beauty and wooden architecture of the Ashokan Center invokes a sense of the Ukrainian mountain communities, creating a meaningful and resonant backdrop for this event. Showcasing and connecting with Ukrainian culture and community helps bring the issues in Ukraine closer to people’s hearts and helps support its resilience and fight for freedom,” said Danylo Mykula of the Ukrainian American Youth Association.

50 percent of all proceeds will be donated to the Ukrainian-American Youth Association of the Hudson Valley. The support for Ukrainian American Youth Association’s (UAYA) efforts to aid children and hospitals in Ukraine is incredibly important, especially given the current challenges the country faces. 

To learn more about performers and workshops, and to purchase tickets, visit ashokancenter.org/product/ukrainian-community-day-2024 

The Ukrainian American Youth Association of the Hudson Valley has been helping orphans and children whose parents are fighting in the war since 2014, when Russia unlawfully annexed parts of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, as well as broke the agreement made in the Budapest Memorandum between the USA, England, and Russia to guarantee Ukraine’s security and sovereign borders to denuclearize. The money raised at this event will go directly to helping orphans by providing food, clothing, therapeutic supplies, and shelter for those in areas ravaged by war and de-occupied areas around Kharkiv. 

Some of the money will be used to ship items difficult to obtain in Ukraine. The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Kharkiv will be responsible for distributing the aid effectively, ensuring that the resources reach those who need them most. Part of the funds will also support Children’s Heart, an international nonprofit dedicated to rebuilding the children’s hospital in Kyiv, which was severely damaged by missile strikes this summer. 

Soyuzivka, the Ukrainian cultural center in Kerhonkson, is a cornerstone of this community, offering a place for cultural events, festivals, and gatherings. The UAYA cultural center in Ellenville also contributes to the cultural fabric, hosting events and activities that strengthen the community’s ties. Both are hubs where traditions and heritage are preserved and celebrated. Many Ukrainians, from all over the country, Canada, and as far as Australia, have spent summers going to summer camp at one of these magical places. 

The Ashokan Center is located at 477 Beaverkill Rd.

Learn more at www.ashokancenter.org.

Contributed by the Ashokan Center.