Our local bakery turned Pi Day into a sweet way to support Ukraine.
Simple Simon Bakery, along with 15 other members of the Wisconsin Bakers Foundation, hosted “Pi for Peace”, a fundraiser for the Ukraine Red Cross. Through pie sales at at various locations, the bakeries have raised $14,198 so far with donations still coming in.
We have all watched in horror as Ukraine continues to battle against the Russian invasion, which began on Feb. 24. The images coming out of that war zone have been relentlessly shocking.
Maybe it seems like a meaningless gesture to eat pie in the face of all that destruction and overwhelming sadness.
But, the Ukrainian people need all the support they can get — militarily, financially, emotionally and spiritually. They need it now and they will need it as they begin to rebuild.
So, bring on the pies and the protests; the anthems and the appeals; the treats and the Tweets, the pie sales and the prayers.
We, who have no military background, can’t declare no fly zones or send in fleets of missile-seeking drones. But, we can follow the news closely from reliable sources, we can offer verbal support over social media, we can appeal to our government representatives, we can hang signs and banners, we can donate to reputable and efficient sources, and we can buy pies.
Yesterday, our local Irish bar used its biggest night of the year to support Ukraine. McGuinness Irish Pub is matching donations collected during all their St. Patrick’s Day events, and raffling off a Guinness Hockey Jersey to raise funds for Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief. The party and the fund drive continues all weekend.
I’ll be keeping my eye out for other Ukrainian fundraisers and I’d love to hear your ideas as well.
If you’d like to donate directly, the Ukrainian Red Cross and Catholic Relief Services are two great options. I was able to make a donation in my grandma’s name through CRS. They are on the ground in Ukraine and in bordering countries, providing safe shelter, hot meals, hygiene supplies, transport to safe areas, counseling support and more.
#stopwarinukraine #standwithukraine #prayforukraine
Continued prayers.