Lions Hall in Elmira was filled with tables overflowing with bright purple and yellow pansies last week for the Woolwich Community Lions Club’s second annual “Pansies for Ukraine” fundraiser.
“[It was] highly successful, they pretty much sold themselves,” said Valarie King, an organizer of the event. “People were very happy to hear that we were doing it again.”
Altogether, the group estimates they raised nearly $8,000 for the cause. The funds will go toward supplies and help for Ukrainian refugees and for Ukrainians still in the country, distributed by the Lions Club International Foundation.
“In this time of great need, Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) is awarding grants to make sure Lions are there to help provide immediate relief to those struggling to meet their most basic needs, and Lions around the world are uniting through kindness to help the people who desperately need it,” the organization says on its website.
“Grant funding will enable Lions to cover a broad spectrum of refugee needs, including immediate survival needs, transitional needs for mid- or long-term settlement, and support for services to help refugees integrate into their new community.”
People ordered their pansies ahead of time, and came to pick them up April 6 at Lions Hall. The group had more baskets of pansies on hand for people to buy the day-of, if they hadn’t ordered ahead. The pansies came in various sized baskets and hanging pots. Eight-inch pots sold for $12, ten-inch pots for $15. Hanging pots went for $19.
“We average $4 of every pot that we sell is actually going towards the fundraiser,” said King.
Pansies were sourced from Warren Greenhouses in Kitchener.
“We appreciate the tremendous support from the community,” said Jeanette Bomhof, another organizer of the club’s event.
