Barrie’s hosts fundraiser for people living on front lines in Ukraine

POCATELLO — Barrie’s Ski and Sports will be hosting a fundraiser for Ukraine on Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m.

Two years ago, the war began between Ukraine and Russia. Lena Contor, a native of Ukraine and now a resident of Pocatello, has organized a fundraiser, “Bread and Light for Ukraine” to help send bread and firewood to those living near the front lines.

One year ago, Contor and Barrie’s hosted a fundraiser one year after the beginning of the conflict. She was not expecting she would need to put together a second fundraiser because many Ukrainians had hoped the conflict would be over by now. At last year’s fundraiser, they raised 30,000 for solar lights that were distributed in Ukraine. According to Contor, many people are sleeping in their basements and bomb shelters, because no one knows when the bombs will fall. These shelters are dark. The use of solar lights has been very helpful to so many people.

This year, Contor is hoping to raise $10,000 for bread and firewood to send back to Ukraine. This money will provide 44,000 loaves of bread to those living on the front lines.

“They can’t plant or pick wood or mushrooms. After they pushed the Russians back, the lands are still covered in mines from the Russians. The government doesn’t have enough men to fight on the front lines and de-mine the true land. Flour and firewood (have) to come from western Ukraine,” says Contor.

Contor will be returning to Ukraine for her eighth humanitarian mission. She will be accompanied by Rob Sturgill. She met Rob on her first mission and learned that he had been in the area for weeks and had been shuttling Ukrainian refugees from the front lines to cities in Poland. He helped train Contor on what was needed. He has also partnered with numerous nonprofits to place bread ovens close by. These bread ovens have been working non-stop to bake bread for those still living on the front lines. In his subsequent travels back to Ukraine, Sturgill has helped provide five mobile kitchens and a mobile clinic. He’s also fixed houses that were impacted by the bombings. For this 8th mission for Contor, she and Sturgill will be bringing more aid, doctors, flour, and firewood, serving meals, and distributing bread. Their work will help many in the hardest-hit areas of Ukraine.

At Saturday’s event there will be Ukrainian theme decorated booths with free borscht made by Lena Contor and her mother. There will also be slices of bread with butter and jam provided by Gerladine’s Bake Shop. Live Ukranian music will be provided by a local artist Melissa Schrade. The Luci Solar lights will also be sold for $20 each, and all proceeds will go toward buying flour and firewood for eastern Ukraine. Barrie’s donated a bicycle that will be raffled off during the event. One ticket will be offered for every $10 donated (or purchased solar light). You can buy six tickets for $50 or 13 tickets for $100. For those who want to see what traditional Ukrainian clothes look like, there will be a place to try on and take pictures in the traditional clothing.

Haley Harding Lowry was able to get the Doterra Healing Hands program to match the proceeds from this event. They are hoping to raise $10,000, when matched, which will provide two semi-trucks of flour, and two semi trucks of firewood, and 200 solar lights to those in Ukraine.