In the city of Tiboron, on the occasion of St. Nicholas Day, a charity evening was held by the “Hromada” society and the “Angelik” foundation for the benefit of the children of heroes who died defending the sovereignty of Ukraine from Russian invaders.

In an elevated mood, the guests gathered in the yacht club and heard shouts: “Nicholas is sailing to us!” Everyone ran out onto the porch to see Saint Nicholas exiting the yacht onto the club’s pier. He was dressed as befits a bishop: in one hand he held a bent staff, as befits the Lord’s shepherd, and in the other – a bag of gifts for those who had behaved well all year round. Nicholas visited the club and announced that the one who would recite a poem or sing a song about winter would receive a gift. There were many who wanted it, and there were enough gifts for everyone, because everyone had been well-behaved all year round. Everyone received a souvenir from Ukraine. When Nicholas handed out all the gifts, he announced that it was time for him to set off on his journey to give gifts to other children and adults, and invited those present to enjoy themselves at the tables.

The host of the evening, aka Saint Nicholas, Yarema Kuzyshyn invited Alina Ilchuk and Andriy Lesny to perform, whose music created the atmosphere of the festive evening. The guests were also entertained by the singing of the "Kolyada" choir under the direction of Andriy Kryshtafovich. Their carols gave a feeling of home comfort when the family gathers in a close circle. Everyone joined in and sang along to "God the Eternal", "A Star Shines Above the Nativity Scene...", "The Immaculate Virgin", "News in Bethlehem..." and other soul-warming carols.

The opening remarks at the evening were made by the organization’s co-founder Natalia Anyon and CFO Yarema Kuzyshyn, who spoke about the achievements of the non-profit organization “Hromada” and the charity of the “Angelyk” Foundation. They noted that in 2018, aid was collected and sent to Ukrainian children from the families of fallen soldiers, and also shared plans for 2019 - to at least double this support.

Natalia Anyon noted that the newspaper “Hromada” has already become popular among the Ukrainian diaspora in California and is read by over 11 thousand people. Editor-in-Chief Lesya Castillo thanked everyone who subscribed to the newspaper, is interested in it, supports it with their contributions, funds and advertising, and spoke about the achievements and plans for the future.

During the evening, Yarema Kuzyshyn also held a charity lottery with an auction. Among the prizes were Easter eggs from Lesya Castillo, and the most valuable prize was a coral necklace made in the Ukrainian style under the embroidery, which went to Iryna Rybia. A boat for a private trip around the bay was provided for auction by the Anyon family. All proceeds from the lottery and auction went to help orphans in Ukraine.

Traditional Ukrainian dishes awaited the guests on the tables, among which the varenyky prepared by Maria Grekh were recognized as the most delicious. Natalia Chul, Lesya Castillo and Yuriy Kolesnikov helped set the tables. The evening continued with dances, jokes, contests and songs to the incendiary musical accompaniment of Alina Ilchuk and Andriy Lesny.

The guests left with a feeling of satisfaction and warmth from a wonderful evening. All funds raised during the event were specifically directed towards Christmas aid for children who lost their parents in the struggle for Ukraine's independence and sovereignty.