Pitching in: Fundraiser kicks off to bring Ukrainian women’s softball team to B.C. – BC | 24CA News
Organizers of an annual international girls’s softball match have launched a fundraiser to carry a Ukrainian nationwide group to Surrey, B.C., to compete.
The Canada Cup, held between July 7 and 16 at Softball City, is ready to be the most important of its form in Canadian historical past, with greater than 1,500 elite athletes from all over the world.
Director Laura Ballance stated the Ukrainian Women’s Junior National Softball group’s software got here late, however when the board acquired a direct request from the Government of Ukraine, it couldn’t refuse.
“The government is highly supportive of continuing — despite the war — to give opportunities to their young athletes,” Ballance informed Global News. “These young women, despite trying to stay together in Kyiv, some are in Warsaw.
“Obviously their families are deeply involved in the conflict in Ukraine, so they were being forced to fundraise to be able to get their transportation and stay here.”
The Canada Cup launched its fundraising marketing campaign to help the Ukrainian group on Monday.
As of Monday afternoon, a GoFundMe web page had raked in additional than $3,500 of its $60,000-goal. Individuals and companies can even donated to the BC Amateur Sport Fund and obtain a tax receipt.
While the Canada Cup, a non-profit that promotes native and feminine athletes, can’t afford to carry the Ukrainian group to B.C., Ballance stated she’s assured the group will pitch in.
“In 2016, our same organization hosted world championships in softball and we saw these incredible random acts of kindness,” she stated.
“We saw local business people stepping up and provided cleats, equipment to teams that have incredible economic diversity … We know that people will step up to support these young women.”
Ballance stated the Canada Cup is a “special opportunity” each for athletes from the war-torn nation, and for Canada to host them. The match will likely be a uncommon event for the ladies to totally reunite within the midst of the continued battle, launched by Russia in February 2022.
In a news launch, Team Ukraine U19 coach Vasyl Kysil stated “nothing unites people like sports,” and the ladies are “thrilled” to be coming to Canada to compete within the world-class occasion.
“We have had to overcome some major obstacles, but we have remained committed to fielding an elite fastpitch team that prides itself in representing our great country,” he stated.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
