Ukraine’s unlikely allies BY NICHOLAS LAWRENCE Staff Reporter
At the Lysychansk Gymnasium in Luhansk, our members to help others,” Brian Khov, the Ukraine, life continues as normal. Rated one president of the Key Club, said. However, there has been a curious lack of of the best educational institutions in Ukraine, the school has survived multiple world wars, Ukraine charity services by the Key Club. “In our club, we mostly focus on local a Russian invasion in 2014, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Much like Sequoia, children study issues that concern our local community,” for exams, hang out with their friends, and Khov said. This unique emphasis on specifically local bike home to school. issues differentiates the Sequoia Key Club Just one month later, this all changed. Despite the war starting in 2014, February from other clubs. It is no secret that Sequoia 2022 saw the intensification of hostilities. itself has many opportunities for growth and Across the Ukraine-Russia border, towns, development, and the Key Club wishes to subways, villages, and schools just like focus its efforts on where they are best seen. Lyschychansk are destroyed, and people with However, there have been other it. organizations Unlike Lysychansk, included too. Sequoia mainly Other, more continues as normal. grassroots The only manifestation of the war in Ukraine I’m Ukrainian and I just for most Sequoia wanted to just do something. students was the newfound display of Ella Satterwhite, Ukrainian Ukrainian flags across organizations, campus, and Ukrainian even at Sequoia student flag profile pictures on have done more Instagram. for Ukraine. Many However, in Ukraine the reality is entirely organizations, like one started by Ella different. Due to the magnitude of the conflict Satterwhite and Sahana Stanger, have unique, and its impacts, the importance of charity and more personal connections to the Ukrainian service has always been of utmost importance. war and community. The Key Club is a local chapter of the “I’m Ukrainian and I just wanted to just international Kiwanis Key Club organization, do something.You know, I was thinking about, that seeks to engage in service projects across should we do a student walkout? But I didn’t the world. In response to the war in Ukraine, know how effective that would be. So I think there have been many fundraising projects in I just ended up being like, “I’ll do a bake Key Clubs across the United States. sale, just a traditional way to raise money.” “At the Sequoia Key Club, we do a lot of Ella Saterwhite, a founder of the Sequoia service activities to provide opportunities for Ukrainian war charity group, said.
Through donating money to specific charities within the Ukrainian conflict, the group avoided many of the pitfalls that other charities fall to. “We ended up donating most of the money to the Children’s Fund, and it was a huge success. We even contacted Dunkin
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Donuts for our bake sale and they gave us free donuts,” Satterwhite said. The practicality of the bake sale contributed to its impact, as Satterwhite and classmate Sahana Stanger made almost $500 in donations. However, even though there has been less done than one would initially expect, the rationale remains sound. Throughout Sequoia, thousands of different communities exist. While many eyes may be focused on Ukraine, especially during the initial invasion last year, there still is a lot to be done, both in our local communities and in Ukraine.