Pyrohy Fund-Raiser in Sudbury

By Linda Czyrka Russell

When the news of the Haitian earthquake disaster was first heard, we knew we wanted to do something to help. So members of the Original Canadian Garlic Festival Committee with the help of the dedicated volunteers from Sudbury’s Ukrainian Seniors’ Centre initiated and sponsored a pyrohy fund-raiser.

We are pleased to announce that the pyrohy were sold out. The proceeds of this  event were donated to our community’s local agency Mission of T.E.A.R.S. whose school and orphanages help blind and disabled children in Haiti and in need of $100,000 for their reconstruction.

Thank you to our volunteers who helped at the pyrohy-making workshop and to everyone who purchased pyrohy. Together we can achieve the extraordinary!

Who We Are …

The seniors of the Ukrainian Seniors’ Centre of Sudbury Inc. are a dynamic group of volunteers. Dr. Mary Stefura, Founder, is an advocate for the community, volunteering, goodwill etc. The seniors make me very proud of my Ukrainian heritage. The Ukrainian community is a veritable part of Sudbury’s diverse culture. Projects initiated by the Ukrainian Seniors’ Centre include the Ukrainian Seniors’ Complex and Centre, the development of Hnatyshyn Park, Altanka-on-the-Trans Canada Trail (our millennium gift to the City of Greater Sudbury), Barvinok-on-the-Park Ukrainian Retirement Home, the Original Canadian Garlic Festival plus more.

The Ukrainian Seniors’ Centre is a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to promote healthy living and involvement in social, cultural, recreational and charitable activities in a Ukrainian ambiance. One of the services that we offer is congregate dining, “Diners’ Club”. Held every Thursday, one can enjoy a heart healthy home-cooked lunch with the accent on good nutrition (the cost for seniors is only $7). A homemade soup & sandwich lunch is served on Tuesdays for only $3.50.

The most dependable source of fund-raising is our monthly food workshops for making pyrohy and holubtsi (cabbage rolls). This is made possible because of our dedicated volunteers. Our biggest fund-raising endeavour is Sudbury’s annual garlic festival. The 19th Annual Original Canadian Garlic Festival is on Sunday, August 22, 2010. This event has become so popular that we know of at least three other communities in Ontario which now have their own garlic festival! In 2009, we were presented with Sudbury Tourism’s “Invite the World, 2009!” award.