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Organizers of campaign “From heart to heart”: More than 3 million hryvnias collected to purchase resuscitation equipment for children’s hospitals

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Kyiv, April 24, 2016. More than 3 million hryvnias have been collected this year within the framework of the all-Ukrainian charity campaign “Sertse do Sertsya” (“From heart to heart”) to purchase resuscitation equipment for children’s hospitals. This was reported by campaign organizers at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “From April 4 to 24, with the support of “From heart to heart”, volunteers collected 3 million 177 thousand 437 hryvnias and 11 kopecks. It’s almost a million more than the previous year. We believe it to be a renewed start toward helping children at a higher level,” stated Bogdan Ischuk, Head of the Board, All-Ukrainian charity foundation “From heart to heart”. The campaign covered all Ukraine, including Luhansk and Donetsk regions. About 20 thousand volunteers joined the campaign, several ministries – Education, Health, Social Policy, Culture as well as local authorities provided support.

“The campaign had an important message – charity can be done not with tears in your eyes, but with fun and positive emotions,” said Mr. Ischuk. In most regional centers the campaign started with a car or bicycle race. Then there were some charity fairs and other activities that offered people to have a good time and make a charitable contribution. “This year we held the first charity race in 15 regions of Ukraine, following the example of Poland. It involved more than 10,000 participants with arbitrary contribution. It was a pilot project and Ukrainians showed that they are willing to engage in such activities for the sake of children’s lives,” said Mr. Ischuk. Most events happened on the last day, April 24 – volunteers collected money in the street, special towns were set up in the city centers, where you could register as a volunteer, have your blood pressure checked, your blood tested and so on.

A significant feature of the campaign was that volunteers did not give the collected money to the foundation representatives. “A volunteer takes the raised funds to the bank, gives them directly to a bank employee, gets a receipt and presents the receipt as an account. Based on these receipts, we summarize the campaign,” explained Mr. Ischuk.   

The decision on the purchase of the resuscitation equipment will be taken soon. “We, together with the medical environment and the foundations will choose the most effective equipment that will help as many children as possible,” noted Volodymyr Zhovnir, Ministry of Health of Ukraine senior outsource specialist on Pediatric Anesthesiology, senior doctor at the Scientific and Practical Health Center on Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. He reminded that during the first action in 2015, about 2.5 million hryvnias were collected. At the doctors’ request, the raised funds were spent on buying infusion pumps – the devices that measure and infuse accurate doses of medications and are needed both in the in-patient departments of hospitals and in the emergency departments.

On July 28-30, charity rock festival “Woodstock Ukraine” will be held in the castle Svirzh in Lviv region to show the gratitude to the volunteers who have participated in the action. “At this feast we will unite active youth, professional musicians and young performers under the slogan “Love, Peace and Music,” informed Yevgenia Baranska, Supervisory Board member, charity foundation “From heart to heart.” All musicians will perform on a pro-bono basis. “This is our expression of gratitude to the volunteers who spend their time and efforts to raise funds for treatment of children. They are the bridge between those who need help and those who can provide it. It would be ideal if such activity could become popular,” noted Oleksiy Zvolynskyi, guitar player, band “Skryabin.” “This year we will have an intellectual location called “Television” in addition to our musical stage. It is a place where visitors can listen to lectures and communicate with famous Ukrainians who have achieved success in a particular sphere,” informed Anna Antoniuk, art-director of “Woodstock Ukraine” festival. Besides, night shows of films, autograph sessions, master classes and sports will be organized. Entrance to the festival is free with advance registration on “Woodstock Ukraine” web site.