First ever Ukrainian Festival celebrates Ukrainian culture and sends supplies to the war front

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)- The war in Ukraine has been raging since February 2022. Nearly two years later, people are still wanting to help out the war efforts and send any aid that they can. That is the idea of the First Ukrainian Festival in Pocatello.

The festival also served as a fundraiser to raise funds to send 300 tourniquets to the war front and other medical supplies. A goal they were able to not only meet but surpass.

"We will have to count because people are still buying the raffle tickets. So I don't know what the last number was but, I know we passed it. We came up with the number 300 because I thought we needed to come up with something a little bit higher than we could so we could strive for that. And it turns out I was underestimating our community," said Lena Contor who organized the event.

The event showcased Ukrainian Food, Music, and Traditional dances. People in attendance say they really enjoyed the festival and were glad they were able to aid in the goal of raising funds for the tourniquets.

"I think it's really important for us to do everything we can to support the crisis in Ukraine right now. And I think this is a really awesome opportunity and a really great event that was organized to kind of bring some of that culture and inspire people to do more to help," Annie Jones said.

"I think this is a great event because at the very beginning of the war, everybody was donating and everybody was trying to support. But now it's been going on for a year and a half, almost two years. So I think this is a good reminder that the war is still happening and Ukraine, still needs help," Karina Schaffer said.

Bryndon Belnap served an LDS mission in Ukraine and fell in love with the culture of Ukraine and its people. He was also able to share that love with his community. He shared how even though the war may not be on everyone's mind anymore, doesn't mean that it still isn't affecting people.

"It is still a very big part of the people's lives that are there now. And they still need the attention and the help. And it's important that we we keep paying attention to this this big thing that's going on over there," Belnap said.

He added that for him it was fun to learn new songs and participate in the festival sharing his talents as well.

"I was super grateful to be able to do that," he said.

Lena who is from Ukraine and has spent a number of years in Pocatello now shares how important the festival was for her and her people in the wake of tragedy still besieging her people.

"it was very special to hear so many Ukrainian songs in Ukrainian language. See Ukrainian dances while I've been away from my country, from my culture for so long that it feels like a piece of home and knowing that it's all Americans who took their time, who don't speak Ukrainian, took time to learn to sing in Ukrainian, it's just so amazing! When someone says hi to me in Ukrainian, it brightens up my day. Can you imagine how all the Ukrainians in this community feel? Listening, to all this from Americans in Ukrainian. Where will you find a better community than this? I'm not moving anywhere," Contor said.

She adds that she has great empathy for the Israeli conflict but still feels the need to send help to her country.

"I actually have mixed feelings about this event because of the war in Israel. It breaks my heart now that I have witnessed firsthand what happens to people when it happens somewhere else like I know what people are going through. And I had mixed feelings because that country needs support too. But unfortunately, a conflict in another country doesn't solve problems in my country. And so there's still things that are needed and needed tourniquets, medical supplies. However, I do feel for Israel," Contor said.

Everyone in attendance enjoyed the festival and was grateful to find ways to help Ukraine and her people.