Ottawa kids raise $6K for Red Cross with Ukraine flag pins
Four children and their parents are spreading the word about the plight of Ukrainians during the Russian invasion, raising more than $6,000 in the process for the Red Cross's efforts in the eastern European country.
Sophie Lewchuk, 12, and her brothers, Sam, 10, Ben, 8 and Ollie, 6, have been creating pins of the country's blue-and-yellow flag and selling them at school.
"I thought it was a really cool idea," Sophie told CBC Radio's In Town And Out. "Because even if we were just making pins, it is actually, like, helping people of Ukraine. So I definitely thought that was a cool aspect."
Russia's military forces kept up their punishing campaign to capture the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday after an airstrike on a military base near the Polish border brought the war dangerously close to NATO's doorstep.
A new round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials raised hopes that progress would be made in evacuating civilians and getting emergency supplies to besieged areas. The talks were later put on hold Monday and were expected to resume Tuesday.
Parents Simon and Ashley Lewchuk said they were inspired after Simon attended a rally in support of Ukraine outside the Russian Embassy, where many people were wearing blue and yellow.
The family has also participated in rallies at Ottawa City Hall and on Parliament Hill.
The children started by telling friends and neighbours about their pins, but soon brought them to school. They sell for a suggested $5 each, although Sophie Lewchuk said she's given some to students who didn't have the full amount.
So far, they've sold more than 900.
"I've just been bringing pins, like, every day this week to school," she said.
The family also has a personal connection to the conflict, with a branch of Simon's Lewchuk's family immigrating from Ukraine to Saskatchewan.
"I'm really proud of them," he said about his children's initiative. "And I feel inspired and just really encouraged when you see any young kids — and particularly our children — just wanting to engage with the world."
Noticed by ambassador
The pins are made by cutting blue and yellow fabrics, gluing them together and attaching pins – with all four children helping in some way.
Their efforts haven't gone unnoticed.
After seeing a social media post about the pins, Darius Skusevičius, Lithuania's ambassador to Canada, invited the family to attend an event at the embassy — one celebrating his country's independence — and bring their pins with them.
The siblings said attending the event, alongside members of parliament and other dignitaries, was fun.
"'[It's] cool to meet new people that we haven't seen yet," Ollie said.
Ashley Lewchuk said that like many families, they initially felt helpless and heartbroken watching the invasion of Ukraine.
"It's a small thing," she said. "But it's a really neat way to show our kids what compassion looks like — and that a small gesture can go a long way and empower other people to try and make a difference."
