About 90 people from the Hood and Frederick communities attended a walk for Ukraine organized by a group of Hood students on Thursday, March 3.
The goal of the walk was to raise awareness and express support for Ukrainians who are suffering in the midst of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Hood senior Andrii Bezmen and first-year Josephine Sasse organized the event, along with seniors Amelia Rotenbury, Dani Holt, Brooks Anderson, and John Foley who made signs, T-shirts and posters for the walk.
Bezmen was born and raised in Ukraine and his parents and sister still reside there.
Brooks Anderson introduced Bezmen to the crowd as his dear friend and said that the more he got to know him, the more they had in common. “A man raised in the Ukraine by Ivan is not so different from a man raised in West Virginia by Scott,” Anderson said.
Bezmen gave a passionate speech to the crowd before the walk began. He told the crowd that on Thursday morning, his home city was heavily bombed as his father fights for Ukraine and his mother and sister hide in a bomb shelter.
Members of the crowd were visibly shocked by this statement and remained so as he continued his speech.
“While Ukrainians are fighting on the battlefield, we must fight a different battle here to raise awareness and support,” Bezmen said. “Today we are all Ukrainians.”
In his speech, Bezmen also criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for saying that the Russian military is only attacking military targets.
“Children are dying every day,” Bezmen said. “There is no excuse for that.”
The organizers of the event asked all of those attending to wear blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The Ukrainian flag was drawn in chalk on the ground in front of the chapel steps, and miniature Ukrainian flags, stickers and posters were passed out to attendees.
Some of the posters read: “Pray 4 Ukraine,” “Stop Putler” and “If Russia stops fighting there will be no war. If Ukraine stops fighting there will be no more Ukraine.”
Sally Smith, a Frederick resident and former Hood graduate student, attended the walk to show her support for the people of Ukraine and her relatives who are still living in the country.
“My heart goes out to the people of the Ukraine,” Smith said. “My mother is Ukrainian, first generation here. I just wish that there was something we could do…it just breaks your heart.”
The walk included an inner loop around the residential quad and then a larger loop around the residence halls, ending back in front of the chapel for prayer from Rev. Beth O’Malley.
Bezmen also included in his speech a poignant statement of the strength of Ukrainians. “Nobody is going to break us, we are strong, we are Ukrainians,” he said.
Those interested in donating to support humanitarian causes in the Ukraine can click here to donate to the Red Cross or here to donate to UN Crisis Relief.
Scan the QR code below to access links to more information, donation sites and petitions compiled by Bezmen and Anderson:
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