LAVALLETTE – A fundraiser featuring food, music, raffles, a 50/50 drawing and much more will be held on April 23 with funds going directly to support Ukrainian refugees and those in Ukraine.
Lavallette resident Jack Sauer and his wife April formed the committee Our Shore For Ukraine which is working on a “zero cost/100% benefit” fundraising dinner to assist with this massive humanitarian challenge,” Jack Sauer said.
“We are working with St. Stephen Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toms River to deliver these funds via the church in Ukraine quickly and with no erosion of funds to corporate overhead.”
“Zero cost means that all food, materials and services are being donated by local businesses and organizations. So, every dollar will go to aid those who need it most. This is a grass roots, community driven effort and it is not just the Lavallette community that is involved but our broader community up and down the island as well as across the bay,” Sauer added.
Donations will be consolidated by the United States Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese in Philadelphia and sent directly to Ukraine and neighboring countries to provide services and support the victims of the ongoing conflict caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The minimum requested donation for the event is $50. “Our thought was to set the minimum donation request low enough so that, hopefully, anyone in our community can afford to join us for this deeply meaningful evening, even given the current burden of inflation but our fervent hope is that, given the magnitude of this humanitarian crisis, those who can do more, will do the most that they can,” Sauer said.
Sauer noted, “as a point of reference, for the early ticket sales over these last few weeks, our community has been averaging a donation per ticket of over $120. We don’t expect that level of commitment from everyone but it is encouraging to see that initial response.”
Also, we have initiated a Special Donor Recognition Program for organizations and individuals who have the capacity and desire to do more. Checks should be made payable to St Stephen Ukrainian Catholic Church and sent to our attention at 405 Bay Blvd Lavallette, NJ 08735,” he added.
Donors should be sure to indicate the number of tickets requested or if they are making a direct donation and are unable to attend the event. “Tickets may be picked up at our home, 405 Bay Blvd, Lavallette, or can be held at “will call” at the event,” Sauer added.
Sauer said, “we lack the time or resources to establish a modern web site with electronic ordering capabilities. We’re happy to answer any questions at 973-650 4554. Donations are tax deductible and donors are urged to include an email address so that they can receive a receipt for tax purposes.”
“In addition to the horrors that we see on the news every day, we believe that many in our community are also moved by the fact that we have a significant Ukrainian immigrant population in our area and that in past summers, many young Ukrainians have been a vital part of our seasonal economy,” Sauer added.
”Noting a recent headline that reads “Ukraine Assault Uproots 10 Million”, Sauer explained, “uproots” means refugees. That’s about 25% of the entire Ukrainian population. That’s 800,000 more than the entire population of New Jersey and the numbers are growing every day.”
