Diaspora residents in the USA raised $850,000 for Ukraine by selling patriotic candles. PHOTO
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A family from the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States raised over $851,000 to help Ukraine by selling candles. The Door County Candle Company, a small candle shop in Wisconsin, started producing candles in blue and yellow colors. The patriotic candle was called “Ukraine”. All proceeds from the sale were donated to the organization Razom for Ukraine, writes “Voice of America”. Ukrainian and business owner in the USA Christiana Trapani told “UP. Life” the story of the candle business and family volunteering. The family of the owner of Door County Candle Company, Christiana Trapani, is from the Ukrainian diaspora. Photo: Christiana Trapani “I am 100% Ukrainian. I grew up speaking Ukrainian as my native language,” says Christiana Trapani. Christiana’s grandmother, Lyuba Derkach, emigrated from Ukraine during the Second World War. Now the whole family supports the Ukrainians in the war started by Russia. The girl bought the Door County Candle company in June 2021 – even before the great war. Diaspora people sold blue and yellow candles and collected more than 851 thousand dollars to help Ukraine “In January 2022, we made candles for a Ukrainian Catholic school in Chicago to raise funds. The candle is blue and yellow and is called “Ukraine”. When Russia invaded Ukraine , my Ukrainian family called us. We were all on the phone, crying with them. My grandmother survived World War II, and we were all devastated,” said Christiana. The business owner announced that she will donate 100% of the profit from the sale of candles to the Razom for Ukraine fund. The blue-yellow candle was created back in 2021, and with the beginning of the great war, it became “charitable”. Photo: Door County Candle Company Initially, they planned to donate $5,000 to the charity, but the demand for the “patriotic candle” grew. “We immediately started selling hundreds of these candles!” – says Christiana. Volunteers, employees and family members participate in the production process, including 83-year-old grandmother Lyuba. Making one blue-yellow candle takes several days. Dozens of people participate in the production process: employees, volunteers and the owner’s family. In particular, Christiana’s mother and father make candles every day, and 83-year-old grandmother Lyuba helps to clean the products and stick labels on them. Christiana’s father, Yuriy, pours candles, grandmother Lyuba glues labels, mother also helps “It is a blessing that there are so many volunteers in our community who wanted to help us make these candles for Ukraine. We were also lucky that our families helped us. Thanks to the incredible support and all people who want to help Ukraine, we were able to collect more than 850 thousand dollars, and this week another 9 thousand dollars will arrive,” says Christiana. Americans, Canadians, and Ukrainians bought candles for $30 a piece. All proceeds were donated to the “Razom for Ukraine” foundation. Americans, Canadians and Ukrainians bought blue-yellow candles for $30 each. The Diaspora managed to raise more than $850,000 for Razom for Ukraine, but they do not plan to stop there. The Door County Candle Store also makes trench candles for the military. Diaspora residents filled more than 10,000 trench candles, 6,000 of which have already been handed over to the front. Door County Candle also makes trench candles for the military “This is important to me because Ukraine is my Motherland. The war in Ukraine is a global problem, we all need to step up and help in any way we can. I want to raise awareness about Ukraine and raise as much money as possible,” says Christiana. And to thank Poland for its support of Ukraine, the store launched a limited collection of candles in the colors of the Polish flag. 100% of the profit was also received by the organization Razom for Ukraine. Christiana will continue to sell candles for charity, and after winning she will definitely visit Ukraine. Christiana plans to continue selling the “Ukraine” candle and donate the profit to the “Razom for Ukraine” fund. After the victory, the woman is also going to come to her grandmother’s homeland. “Another goal and dream of mine is to open my own candle factory in Ukraine when it wins the war. I would like to create jobs and use candles to raise funds for various local Ukrainian organizations. Ukraine candles will forever remain a part of our company, and we will always collect money for Ukraine,” adds Christiana. And here is another photo of diaspora volunteers on the Independence Day of Ukraine. In the picture – Christiana’s dad Read also: “I don’t let the Russians in the otters”: how volunteer otters from Bali and their owner help the Armed Forces
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