A Mercedes minibus for the seriously sick and disadvantaged

Despite all the negative social and political connotations accompanying Donetsk and its residents for some time in the Ukrainians’ everyday consciousness, the city’s name has been lately increasingly emerging in the context of vibrant national and international cultural phenomena and event. These have included Donbass Opera with its unique performances, large-scale and highly important Euro-2012 soccer championship, the Isolation platform for cultural initiatives, Art Donbas Gallery and so on. The current cultural aspirations and passions of its citizens are both consciously and intuitively, step by step building a positive image of Donetsk as a hard-working, innovating, modern city.

Another remarkable stroke has been added recently to the city’s collective ceremonial portrait, as it turned to charitable work. The Rotary Club of Donetsk celebrated 108th anniversary of Rotary International in early March, 2013.

Let us recall that Rotary clubs which make up Rotary International are non-religious and non-political service organizations open to all successful people, regardless of nationality, race, creed or political beliefs. There are over 30,000 clubs with more than one million members worldwide. The main principle of Rotary International is Service above Self. The Rotarians see most dedicated service as a guarantee and proof of their own success and take inspiration from it to cooperate sincerely and selflessly for the sake of those in dire need of help.

Therefore, the Donetsk Rotary Club’s used the anniversary as an opportunity to invite their guests to the solemn meeting in L’Opera hall of Donbass Palace Hotel for far more than just a celebration, though the atmosphere of the meeting was appropriately high-spirited, pleasant and friendly. Its purpose was to get representatives of local government, business and cultural elite involved in the club’s ongoing charity project “Aiding the Seriously Sick Children of Donetsk Region.”

With the support of the Donetsk club former president Jean Bach and the Rotary Club of Schoenefeld (Germany), which took the lead in negotiations with the Mercedes minibus producer and paid the lion’s share of its price, the Donetsk Rotarians collected the rest of the money needed to buy a vehicle that would serve the sick and disadvantaged citizens. The Charter President of the Rotary Club of Donetsk, charismatic, outspoken and deeply committed to the cause Yakiv Rohalin introduced all present to the meeting’s main goal. Children’s drawings from the collection “Compassion through the Children’s Eyes” were the prizes of the every-ticket-wins charitable lottery, while the club’s charity auction lots were unique items, provided for free by their owners and authors. The sold lots included a stone from the top of Everest, the authenticity of which was confirmed by a member of the Donetsk Rotary Club, Snow Leopard mountaineering award holder, a conqueror of Everest Serhii Kovaliov, a bottle of wine of a unique Macedonian brand Alexander, and several works by famous Ukrainian photoartists. Modern art band ONI (Antonio Shevchenko, Oleksandra Yeskova and Olena Yemchenko) graced the meeting with its presence and also contributed to the auction, with Yeskova putting her Analytical Transrealist landscape painting for sale.

The city’s musical elite was actively involved in the event, too. The meeting’s participants were fascinated with performance of the Prokofiev Donetsk State Music Academy’s Music School for Gifted Children’s young flutists’ ensemble, accompanied by the academy’s concertmaster Olha Soloviova. The talented flutist and winner of international competitions Olha Zernaieva, who teaches at the academy, inspired sincerity of thinking and generosity of action by her passionate and sincere execution.

The lottery and auction’s proceeds will cover the Donetsk share of the charitable work-bound Mercedes minibus purchase. It will be a minority share, since the Donetsk Rotary Club’s membership is still limited, but it is an important step, nonetheless. Many of the most enthusiastic Donetsk Rotarians are experts who value the organization’s global prestige and its members’ tradition of responsible service to the society. While the Ukrainians are known worldwide for their innate sincerity, the hard history taught them to treat very carefully various foundations that proclaim lofty goals, raise funds for charity and disappear. Unlike these organizations, the Rotary is a vocation, a transparent relationship and lack of financial benefit for participants. This lack of profit opportunities in the club’s activities is what makes it look obscure and suspicious to the Ukrainian eye. However, such events and real-life help are producing snowball effect, encouraging people, building trust and giving everyone an opportunity to make our world a better and kinder place, regardless of one’s exact residence in this globalized world.