Ukraine Flags for Solidarity
100% Volunteers
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Our Purpose: Ukraine Flags for Solidarity’s purpose is to engage concerned individuals to provide emotional support to the people of Ukraine as the unprovoked aggression by Putin’s Russia. Since the war which began on February 24, 2022 continues, that emotional support is needed now more than ever.
What We Do:
Informative Monthly Video Calls
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- We organize and facilitate one hour video calls on the 24th of each month featuring the CEO of a Ukrainian-based technology company, Ivan Muts of Euristiq.
- These calls provide education and insight as to what’s happening in Ukraine from a local citizen’s perspective.
- Participation in these calls helps evaluate the accuracy of information included in the U.S. news and fills in the gaps of what is missing.
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Fly the National Flag of Ukraine
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- We encourage all to fly the flag of Ukraine in front of their homes or business.
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We request and collect photographs of supporters of Ukraine with their flags which we share with our friends and business partners from Ukraine.
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To request a Ukraine flag hand-sewn by U.S volunteers, while quantities last, please fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page.
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Our History:
The Need
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- Ukraine Flags for Solidarity was founded by Sal Edwards and Estelle Gray in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
- Their business, Heart Zones, a technology company focused on school and health-clubs, had partnered with a software development company, Euristiq, co-founded by CEO Ivan Mutts, headquartered in Lviv, Ukraine.
- Deeply disturbed that their business friends were in dire peril, Sal and Estelle looked for a way to get involved. They learned that there was a rally to support Ukraine in their hometown of Medford, Oregon on March 2, 2022. They also learned, however, that they couldn’t buy a Ukraine flag anywhere in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley.
- Estelle’s response was to purchase the blue sky and gold wheat colored fabrics of Ukraine’s national flag and began sewing.
- Sal and Estelle’s efforts and participation in the Medford, Oregon rally were featured in an Ashford News article.
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What Followed
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- Sal and Estelle committed to raising funds and awareness to provide financial and emotional support to their business partners in Ukraine by sewing and distributing Ukrainian flags.
- Sal promoted the initiative and coordinated efforts with business friends “on the streets of Lviv”, Ukraine, Estelle recruited and trained volunteers to sew Ukraine flags—pole, garden and lapel pins.
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What We Accomplished
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- To date, Ukraine Flags for Solidarity has raised $34,000 to provide medical supplies to help the citizens of Ukraine. In October 2022, $25,000 was donated to Nova Ukraine, a U.S. based 501(c)(3), designated to the purchase of high quality tourniquets—an area identified as in great need.
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- “A good quality tourniquet can be the difference between the loss of a limb and the loss of a life.”
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- An estimated 150+ flags sewn by volunteers were distributed to donors for display to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
- On the 24th of each month, a one-hour video call is held to get the viewpoint of those on the streets of Lviv. Ukraine Flags for Solidarity is committed to continuing these monthly calls at least until the war is ended.
How we got started
Demonstrator: ‘This is not political, this is humanitarian’
By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news
Supporters from throughout the Rogue Valley donned Ukraine’s national colors Wednesday Afternoon, gathering to create a sea of blue and yellow sprouting with sunflowers and signs calling for peace on Vogel Plaza in Medford.
Some in the crowd of dozens had close or indirect ties to Ukraine, while others were simply empathetic over the violent Russian attack on the eastern European country.
Estelle Gray and Sal Edwards of Medford held up a nylon Ukrainian flag as passing vehicles honked in support on the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue .
Gray has been sewing the flags herself and made homemade Ukrainian flag pins for the gathering, which was organized by Oregon District 2 Indivisible. Ashland Peace House and Rogue Valley Veterans for Peace co-sponsored the rally.
This Flag Has Now Been Flown in 3 Revolutions for Freedom for Ukraine
My name is Yurii Pochapskyi. I am proudly holding my Ukraine flag that has been with me for the past 18 years. This very flag has now been part of three of the four Ukrainian revolutions for freedom. I am proud of my country and my flag because it is a symbol of resistance against authoritarian government of Russia and Ukraine’s fight for freedom.
Yurii Pochapskyi, Lviv, Ukraine
Ukraine Flag now for the 3rd time used to support his country in the Russia-Ukraine war raging now.
In 1990, when the first Ukrainian revolution against Russia started called the Revolution on Granite (https://bit.ly/3JwqnZ4), I was only 3 years old which is too young to carry my country’s blue and gold flag. It was the first major political protest of Ukrainians that took place in Kyiv, on the famous downtown square named Maidan Nezalezhnosti or Independence Square. In 1991, this revolution opposing Russian dominance over Ukraine resulted in Ukraine becoming an independent and sovereign nation.
In 2004, the second Ukraine revolution led by the people demanding freedom from Russian incursion occurred. Known as the Orange Revolution (https://bit.ly/3qpkVzt), the people opposed again Russia’s efforts to falsify the results of presidential elections. Maidan Nezalezhnosti was the site in Kyiv where over a million people protested Russia’s interference in our elections. I was 17 years old and purchased this flag as I protested against illegal election results. My flag and I spent a week on the streets of Kyiv protesting and eventually succeeding.
In 2014, the next revolution took place — the Revolution of Dignity (https://bit.ly/3CZ4z5K). People started protesting the decision of our pro-russian president who sought to block Ukraine’s application to join the EU, the European Union. Rather, the elected president sought closer ties with Russia. This time more than 100 people were killed. They are known as Heavenly Hundred. I joined a protest in Kyiv once more taking this very flag that I cherish with me as I waved it in solidarity.
This flag, blue for the color of the sky and gold for the color of the golden wheat that we grow from the ground, now awaits Ukraine’s victory in this devastating Russian-Ukraine war. This war is again started by the Russian government and their military. We shall win. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes. Glory to the Ukraine flag – our symbol of freedom.
Yurii Pochapskyi
Euristiq Software Project Manager
Lviv, Ukraine
yurii.pochapskyi@euristiq.com
www.Euristiq.com