LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Those wanting to show solidarity with the people and animals of Ukraine made their way to a fundraising event on April 3.
The event in Ephrata was cohosted by Friends of Ukraine and Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in Lancaster County.
The event featured local food trucks, music, entertainment provided by Ukelene Uprising, a native Ukrainian singer, a refugee speaker, a silent auction with fantastic items donated by local community members, and a photo booth.
Organizers said they did not expect the large outpouring of support.
"A lot more people, way more people than we anticipated to come," Tetyana Hershey said. "We heard the parking lot was full and people were parking at the church. We were hoping for 200 people. We have food for 200 people, but it looks like it's way more than 200 people."
One-hundred percent of the donations from the guests go directly to two churches in Lviv and Kherson Ukraine as well as UAnimals, an organization devoted to assisting and supplying animal shelters, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and zoos of Ukraine.