Glory to Ukraine – the 26th Rotary Christmas Tree Gala

This time, the Club decided to join forces with the Polish–Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and devote all proceeds from the Gala to the most pressing needs of our Ukrainian sisters and brothers fighting the Russian aggressor: supporting the club’s participation in a TRF Global Grant worth more than US$170,000 to purchase mobile water treatment stations for the Kherson region, and buying power generators, absolutely essential when Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure is being systematically destroyed and entire areas of the country are being left without electricity.

The Gala was opened by PDG Andrzej Ludek, Chair of the Ukraine Assistance Committee and Club Vice-President. Together with Club Board member Aleną Shpak, a Ukrainian who has lived in Poland for several years, he warmly welcomed the many guests, almost 180 in total, and presented the evening’s programme. In his address, Club President Paweł Buczak humorously wished everyone both open hearts and open wallets during the many auctions and raffles planned for the evening.

As every year, the Gala was attended by Senator Marek Borowski, former Marshal of the Sejm and an honorary member of the club. The Ukrainian Embassy was represented by Embassy Counsellor Vitalii Bilyj, and the Polish–Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce by its Director, Sławomir Szymusiak. Many guests from Ukraine attended: those who had lived in Poland for years, those who had found refuge in Poland after 24 February, and those who had travelled especially for the Gala, including guests from Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia. Member companies of the Polish–Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce were well represented, alongside many distinguished representatives of Rotary clubs from Poland and Europe. A warm welcome was extended to two women presidents of Rotary clubs in Ukraine, Valentynę Balbekową of RC Zaporoże and Annę Bohun of RC Kiev Sofia.

Immediately after the welcome, guests watched a specially prepared film about the club’s commitment to Ukraine. In the film, Rotary General Secretary John Hewko and Oleksandr Vilkul, Head of the Kryvyi Rih Military Administration, thanked the club for its support.

Since the outbreak of war, the Rotary Warszawa City club has focused its efforts on helping Ukraine, working both in Poland and in Ukraine. Its support in Poland naturally centred on the refugees arriving in large numbers. From the first days, the Club welcomed them at Warsaw railway station with hot meals and later funded accommodation for mothers and children at the St Faustyny Pilgrim House in Ostrówek, near Warsaw. Through Ukrainian Rotary clubs, we sent more than 200 tonnes of food, power generators, water filters and 100 mattresses for hospital beds, and purchased three fully equipped ambulances for hospitals in Zaporizhzhia and Lutsk. The value of this aid has long since exceeded €500,000. Naturally, these activities would not have been possible without the support of clubs across Europe and the world that are friends of RC Warszawa City, as well as those that offered their help and commitment on hearing that war had broken out in our neighbouring country.

The Regent Hotel’s chef catered for the guests’ culinary enjoyment with a formal dinner. An outstanding artistic experience was provided by the evening’s guests, the Ukrainian four-tenor ensemble ‘Leon Voci’, well known in Ukraine, Poland and across Europe from ‘Mam talent’. To say that their performance delighted the audience is an understatement! Songs in Ukrainian and Polish, operatic arias, Polish favourites and Ukrainian dumkas, as well as much-loved chart hits from around the world, meant that everyone found something to enjoy in their repertoire. The linguistic skills of these Ukrainian gentlemen were dazzling!

The performers’ personal charm and humour, and the ease with which they connected with the guests, also meant that the encores seemed never-ending. By the finale, the entire room was singing and celebrating with the stars.

After the artistic emotions and excitement, it was time for the auction, jointly led with eloquence and enthusiasm by the Club’s Past President Alex Kartsel and actress and celebrity Weroniką Marczuk, a Ukrainian who has lived in Poland for many years. The guests’ excitement during the bidding was hardly surprising: the valuable lots included a unique Ukrainian Post stamp bearing the famous, explicit but iconic phrase addressed to a Russian warship by the brave defenders of Snake Island in the first days of the war, words that have already entered history; a trip on a luxury yacht; a special commemorative coin, ‘In Unity There Is Strength’; numerous paintings and sculptures; and a cooking workshop with PDG Andrzejem Ludkiem, also the author of ‘Świat zup André’ (The World of André’s Soups), due to be published in June 2023. Guests were surprised not only by the number of items auctioned, but above all by their high value, which has become a hallmark of every Christmas Tree Gala organised by the Rotary Warszawa City club.

For those who had no luck at the auction, the Club had prepared valuable raffle prizes, with younger colleagues from Rotaract helping to run the draw. The range of prizes was impressive! A weekend in Milan donated by RC Milano, a €1,000 voucher for any European trip for two from RC Berlin Luftbruecke, beauty treatments, dinners at well-known Warsaw restaurants, books signed by famous authors, including Lecha Wałęsy, and much more: these were just a fraction of what guests could look forward to. In short, nobody went home empty-handed!

The Gala’s closing artistic highlight was a performance by the well-known and much-loved singer Jolanty Jaszkowskiej, singing in Polish and Ukrainian. Her deep voice captivated the audience, who tried to sing along.

The Gala was a spectacular success: more than 40,000 złoty was raised, a contribution whose value our sisters and brothers from Ukraine will certainly appreciate.

Guests are already eagerly awaiting the next, 27th Christmas Tree Gala, convinced that it is worthwhile to become involved in providing help as tangible and practical as that offered by RC Warszawa City. Everyone parted in good spirits, believing and wishing one another that Ukraine’s complete victory would be the reason to celebrate at the next Gala, a victory in which members of RC Warszawa City have the right to feel they have played a modest part. Glory to Ukraine!