ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University Theatre Department students are making a difference. During the recent production of Play On!, the students raised money for humanitarian relief to Ukraine. The money was raised by raffling off a basket of handmade objects made by West Virginia artists. The students were able to raise $350 to send to Ukraine relief through the Heart to Heart International agency.
Heart to Heart International works to improve healthcare in the United States and around the world. They provide resources to under-served communities and disaster situations. At this time, they are delivering medical supplies, food and hygiene kits to displaced Ukrainians. They are also providing transportation out of the war zone. On April 1, they delivered 52 pallets of critical medicines, one of the largest donations of its kind, according to Ukrainian authorities.
“The Theatre students were excited to help raise funds for this important cause,” stated the Theatre Instructor, Karen Vuranch. “Normally, at each show, we hold a raffle to raise money to buy pizza for the students after a production is over. But the students felt that using that money for a cause such as this was more important.”
Vuranch went on to say that Heart to Heart International was chosen as the recipient for several reasons. She stated that the students were impressed with the passionate appeal made by the organization and that it stresses inclusion and diversity, helping people that might otherwise be excluded. They also chose Heart to Heart International because, according to their website, their executives do not have exorbitant salaries and most of the money goes to direct service.
Raffle tickets were sold at each performance of the recent production of Play On! One name was drawn as the winner at the last performance. The winner of the basket of handmade West Virginia crafts was Barbie Yurick, of Beckley, WV. For more information about this project, you are welcome to contact Karen Vuranch at kvuranch@concord.edu.
