For 365 seconds, more than 100 people stood still at the Kaleidoscope Union Market in Mission Viejo as they paid homage to the lives lost and displaced since Russia invaded Ukraine one year ago.
Organized by the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council on Friday, Feb. 24, the “365 Days Defending Freedom” event included a silent auction to raise funds to purchase civilian drones for those fighting on the frontlines. The drones have been a feature of the Ukrainian defense and are primarily used for spotting enemy troops.
Some of the auction items included a Ukrainian flag signed by members of the 10th Mountain Storm Brigade who have been fighting in Bakhmut, a city heavily bombed and shelled by the Russians, since May and an oil painting by artist Mykola Goncharyk of Ptashka, a 22-year-old paramedic who was held in Russian captivity while pregnant and became a social media symbol of the war.
Visitors enjoyed traditional dance performances that celebrated the resilience of the Ukrainian people and ate customary Ukrainian foods.
In all, about $7,000 was raised, according to an event organizer.
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