Skip to content

How a Port Moody lemonade stand is helping Ukraine refugee kids

Do you remember your summer camp experience? One local group, called Help UA Now, is seeking sponsorships so Ukrainian children fleeing war can go to summer camp in the Tri-Cities.
port-moody-lemonade-stand-for-ukraine copy
Nicole Chow, a resident of Port Moody, organized a garage sale and her kids, Alex and Anna, sold lemonade to fundraise for Ukrainian refugees.

A weekend garage sale turned into a fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees when a Port Moody family raised $300 to aid children seeking a summer camp experience.

Nicole Chow organized a garage sale when her kids, Alex and Anna, set up the lemonade stand to fundraise to enable Ukrainian refugee children to go to summer camp. 

"As you know, we have hundreds of people fleeing Ukraine, and despite the promises of our government, there is no financial help for those people yet. By my estimation, 75 per cent of those who arrive are kids, and paying for the summer programs is impossible for many of the moms," said Katerina Pogrebinsky, one of the volunteers for the organization Help UA Now, which works toward funding summer camps for the Ukrainian refugees, among other things.

According to the website, the cost of securing a spot for one child in a full day summer camp is between $350 and 450 per week.

"By donating to Summer Camp Project or purchasing a shopping tote with Help UA Now logo, you can gift these children summer camp joy, education, and mentorship during this incredibly difficult time," the website states.

Thousands of Ukrainians have arrived in Canada after their paperwork was expedited and, on Monday (May 23), as many as 300 Ukrainian refugees landed in Winnipeg, with two more charter flights to come.

The refugees are fleeing their country after three months of war with Russia, which invaded their country on Feb. 24.