Ashland-Sviathorsk Aid Project (ASAP) will host a three-part benefit concert to aid Sviatohirsk — Ashland’s “sister city” in Ukraine — from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at Ashland High School. The event includes a holiday sale of Ukrainian gifts and food, a film about Sviatohirsk and a concert featuring local artists, many of whom are Ukrainian.
The holiday sale where Ukrainian homemade gifts — holiday dolls, ornaments and baked goods — will be sold will run from 2 to 3 p.m. Each item can be bought at full price or a discounted price to benefit Ukraine.
At 2:30 p.m., a 21-minute “war front” film about Sviatohirsk will be shown along with a 5-minute video about ASAP.
The 90-minute concert begins at 3 p.m. with emcee Dan Hauser, Camelot Theatre’s executive director, to introduce speakers and entertainers. Performers include the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, Rogue Suspects and Kalinonka — a Ukrainian women’s singing group formed by women who sought refuge in the Rogue Valley during the war.
Kalinonka Founder Lyudmila Sokol said in a translated written statement to Ashland.news, “When we sing, we feel as if we are home again. Each song carries the voices of our ancestors, the wisdom of generations and the story of Ukraine.”
The group will perform traditional Christmas songs including the infamous “Carol of the Bells” — but in its original form as a Ukrainian folk song, “Schedryi Vechir,” or “Bountiful Evening.”
Mayor Tonya Graham will share about her trip to Sviatohirsk and State Sen. Jeff Golden will also speak.
Tickets are available at https://asap.booktix.com/.
Tickets are available for $20 for adults or $15 for seniors and students over 12. Tickets are free for AHS students (with ID) and children under 11. For more information, call event coordinator Betsy Bishop at 541-840-6410.
