Last Friday, April 22, 2022, Polish Home Association (PHA) organized a gala dinner and auction “Bid for Ukraine” at the Polish Cultural Center in Seattle supporting the Ukrainian Association of Washington State. The event was a huge success with over 200 people attending, including Gov. Jay Inslee, State Senators Jamie Pedersen (Dem) and Chris Gildon (Rep), the honorary consuls of Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Hungary, The Netherlands and Slovenia, as well as prominent business and community leaders.
During his remarks, Governor Jay Inslee, reaffirmed state’s support for Ukraine and said that “the Washington National Guard is working with the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs to find extra equipment such as coats and blankets to send to the courageous people of Ukraine.” He reiterated that Washington State is ceasing doing business with Russian companies. He also thanked Poland for extraordinary efforts in taking in refugees fleeing the war zone and supporting their needs.
Honorary Consul of Ukraine, Valeriy Goloborodko, provided an update on the situation on the ground in Ukraine and expressed appreciation for Poland’s support in the region and in Seattle. Honorary Consul of Poland, Teresa Indelak Davis, shared a summary of the refugees’ welcome in Poland and integration policies into the local society.
After the official ceremony, a dinner of Polish and Ukrainian cuisine and stage performances by Ukrainian artists, a live auction was held featuring items such as Ukrainian embroidery, photography, art, health packages, and services from local businesses that joined efforts to support Ukraine.
The funds raised from dinner and auction will be used toward 3,000 individual first aid kits, lifesaving medical supplies and equipment which will go on the next aid flight to be delivered into Ukraine. Previous “Operation West Coast – Ukraine Airlift” carrying life-saving surgical supplies and diagnostics distributed to hospitals across Ukraine, was sent on March 28, 2022 from Seattle to Lublin, Poland.
Ukrainian Association of Washington State and Polish Home Association in Seattle are all volunteer-based nonprofit organizations and all proceeds from the event will go to support the ongoing efforts to deliver urgent medical aid to Ukraine and to help displaced persons.
A special appreciation message posted on social media by the Ukrainian Association of Washington State stated: “Thank you to everyone who joined and supported us with the Bid for Ukraine charity auction. We were overwhelmed with the number of guests who joined (completely sold out!) and spent the evening learning about Ukraine and participating in the auction.
We want to thank our true friends, the entire team from The Polish Home Association/ Dom Polski in Seattle for opening their doors to their center and working tirelessly to help us make this possible. A huge thank you to chef Kamila Kanczugowski and her entire team for cooking the delicious dinner for everyone. We are so grateful to the Polish community for ongoing support and generosity, and allowing this charity auction to happen.”
Polish community in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest stands by Ukrainian neighbors offering support throughout the crisis. The event “Bid for Ukraine” with in-kind donations from PHA as well as monetary donation of $5,000 from Seattle Polish Foundation, are part of ongoing efforts to help people affected by the war in Ukraine. Other outreach include continuing fundraising campaigns by Seattle Polish Foundation, Magdalena’s Creperie in Bellingham, Polish School in Bellevue, Lacey Minsk Mazowiecki Sister City, Seattle Gdynia Sister City Association and support from many individuals.
More: Photos from the event are here event photos by Helendi Photography; news coverage by Kiro 7 TV