It’s happened! The evening of the last summer Saturday – August 29, 2009 - set Zaporizhzhia on fire with hundreds of smiles, bright show items, carnival fairy tale characters and fire show!
All this beauty and fun took place in the context of a long-awaited "Happy child" fund charity action to support the kids of Zaporizhzhia and the region suffering from cancer.
We – the volunteers and members of the fund – had a specific purpose: to raise as much as possible money for the treatment of our little ward Igor Komanov.
There is very little time left for the bone marrow transplantation that can save the seven-year-old boy. We remember how we raised money for Vladik Tikhonov during the similar show last year. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to save the boy… Time. It is often against us, against our children to be exact.
That is why our carnival procession began near the main clock of Zaporizhzhia in Shevchenko boulevard. As a symbol of that fact that our children (Igor in particular) need help right now!
Zaporizhzhia hasn’t seen such a show before…
Decoration of balloons, funny bright costumes, clowns walking on stilts - Zaporizhzhia hasn’t seen such a show before! Thanks to the announcements on television and in the newspapers a lot of people responded to our call to start the autumn with a good deed. What can be better than having a good time and helping a child at the same time?
That is probably the reason why a group of colorfully dressed, excited and smiling people of different ages gathered near the clock at the appointed time. Some people who were just resting on the benches nearby immediately decided to join and help with inflating balloons, learning the slogans, organizing the crowd.
Equipped with soap bubbles and bright balloons, our procession moved accompanied by photo and video cameras and the cars of State Motor Vehicle Inspectorate. On our way we tempted a lot of passers-by to visit the forthcoming show, and we also favored lots of people with our smiles, good mood and anticipation of a miracle…
A group of girls wearing funny costumes (an angel, a little devil, a doll, etc.) took special attention. On the way to the show stage the girls made generous donations in order to receive balloons, pens, candy, funny pictures on the skin. They stopped passers-by and directed them to us to make a donation. “Will there be any other actions? – they asked us. – It’s so great and funny and can help a child! We will certainly come next time and take our friends with us!” By the way, the little devil won a prize for one of the best costumes!
Even a little bit…
We tried to give something to remember to everyone who donated to Igor – a helium balloon, a pen, a picture, a T-shirt or just a candy. It’s important for people not just put money into the box, but to receive something in exchange.
Balloons were especially popular: parents were glad to take them for their children, young men – for their girlfriends. And in a while when we looked at the crowd near the stage we saw a great number of green and white balloons. It was very symbolic: at that moment lots of absolutely different people were with us, with Igor, all together to save his life!
They made their contribution. And if everyone who passed by us that day had stopped for a moment and put at least a hryvna into the cash-box Igor would get his chance very soon!
Standing with the cash-box in my hands and observing the crowd I remembered the words that Sveta Pshenichnaya (mother of Daniil Pshenichny who had bone marrow transplantation this year) said: ”Before Daniil fell ill I had opportunities to help sick children but I never did it. That is why everyone who donated money to Daniil, even one hryvna, is not like me, he or she is better!” I was looking at the crowd with green and white balloons and was happy that so many of those better people gathered today.
Constellation of kindness
What about the show? It was a success! Our performers – so various, so colorful and so sincere in their desire to help – agitated everyone, truly delighted the audience!
By the way, many of them are laureates of international contests, champions, winners, celebrities and real artists. In a word, true stars. All of them performed free and with great joy. We had a true constellation of kindness!
We thank you all, guys!!! We thank
• Little but talented musician Taras Yemets!
• Charming Kateryna Velmenko and her Arabic dance group!
• Superenergizing funk team of Zaporozhye national technical university!
• Indian princess Nadezhda Dmytrenko!
• Passionate tango dancers from Zhaporizhzhia dancing school!
• Truly professional groups “Nemnogo Nervno”, “Suchasny Voron”, and of course “Horta” that assured us that everything’s really gonna be OK!
• The audience’s favorites Chinese martial art theater “Tian Lun”, whose lions charmed us all!
• Bright and unique fire show artists – “The Power of Fire” team and Anastasia and her team!
• And of course body artist Anna Bogush!
When the music grew silent, the lights turned off and people broke up, we just couldn’t believe that it was all over. We wished this festival for the sake of Igor’s life never stopped!
By the way, this was the second charity act that we performed for the sake of sick children in the same late August near the same Ukraina trade center. And this is – do we dare hope? – a new good tradition in our town.
P. S. 2948 hryvnas were raised.
We thank all the town-dwellers who supported our action and made Igor closer to bone marrow transplantation.
P.P.S. Our action drew attention of our constant companions-in-arms Zaporizhzhia journalists. Each of them gave up their Saturday evening to make many people aware of Igor’s problem. We thank you all for supporting our actions and our children!
And we thank the police officers who honestly and selflessly (and for free) helped us this evening!
