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People of Syracuse Rally Behind Local Ukrainians in Time of War Syracuse Community rallies behind local Ukrainians

An outpour of support from the Syracuse community has helped local Ukrainians.

By Michael Silverman

LEO SILVERMAN:

As the war in Ukraine rages on, its terrible effects can be felt here within the community of Syracuse Ukranians.

LIDA BUNIAK:

“All of us are being impacted by this, all of us here in Syracuse and beyond.”

LEO SILVERMAN:

Buniak says she’s been able to stay strong thanks in large part to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s message of strength to the Ukrainian people, a sentiment her daughter Ada has also held tight throughout the conflict.

ADA BUNIAK:

“I mean even in the national anthem the first two lines are, ‘Ukraine we are not dead yet, we are still working, we are still fighting through’ and I think having that morale behind me is pushing me through.”

LEO SILVERMAN:

For many Syracuse-Ukrainians the past week has been full of sleepless nights and worry. So what has the response looked like from the Syracuse people? Well, if you ask the Buniak family it has been nothing short of astounding.

LIDA BUNIAK:

“I’ve had school districts uh, both locally and even as far as Binghamton reach out to me and ask what can we do to help our students want to be apart of it. So that support… means so much I don’t even know how to express it.

LEO SILVERMAN:

Support for the Ukrainian people across Syracuse is at an all-time high, and that includes Ada Buniak’s own fundraiser “Bracelets for Ukraine” which have sold nearly twenty-five hundred bracelets in forty-eight hours.

ADA BUNIAK:

“It’s insane, I have people from Spain, from Hungary, you know, Oregon, Arizona, all over the world, all over the country reaching out to me asking if they can help buy them, just donating. It’s… it’s extremely overwhelming. It’s… great, it’s great to see how many people want to help.

LEO SILVERMAN:

Lida Buniak and the Syracuse Ukrainian National Home are holding supply drives Wednesdays and Saturdays, and anyone looking to purchase a bracelet can contact Ada Buniak through her Instagram. Reporting in Syracuse Leo Silverman, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Many local Syracuse Ukrainians have had to endure sleepless nights and worry as war rages on in their home country.

“All of us are being impacted by this, all of us here in Syracuse and beyond,” said Lida Buniak, Syracuse Branch President of the  Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

For Buniak, it is important to stay strong during such trying times, a core concept of Ukrainian people that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held strong during the conflict.

Lida isn’t the only one in her family trying to stay strong during such troubling times. Her daughter Ada Buniak has also found ways to say resilient as the war continues.

“I mean even in the (Ukrainian) national anthem the first two lines are Ukraine we are not dead yet, we are still working, we are still fighting through,” said Ada Buniak. “I think having that morale behind me is pushing me through.”

Another thing that has helped the Buniaks and the greater population of Syracuse Ukrainians is the overwhelming support from the community.

“I’ve had school districts both locally and even as far as Binghamton reach out to me and ask what can we do to help our students want to be apart of it,” said Lida Buniak. “So that support… means so much I don’t even know how to express it.”

Syracuse University lit the Carrier Dome up in blue and yellow lights in support, and Ukrainian flags can be found all over Onondaga County. The biggest support of them all in the eyes of Ada Buniak comes with her own fundraiser “Bracelets for Ukraine” that sold nearly 2,500 bracelets in just 48 hours.

“It’s insane, I have people from Spain, from Hungary, you know, Oregon, Arizona, all over the world, all over the country reaching out to me asking if they can help buy them, or just donating,” said Ada Buniak. “It’s… it’s extremely overwhelming. It’s… great, it’s great to see how many people want to help.”

Anyone interested in supporting the people of Ukraine can participate in the Syracuse Ukrainian National Home’s supply drives on Wednesday’s from six to nine p.m. and Saturday’s eleven a.m. to two p.m.

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