1,380,000 UAH in Just 90 Minutes: How CF KOLO Raised Funds for a New Emergency Department at the Main Military Clinical Hospital
On August 21, CF KOLO's team achieved a dream, we had worked toward for a year and a half: completing the fundraising goal for a modern, barrier-free, and comfortable emergency department at Main Military Clinical Hospital. In just 90 minutes of a charity auction dedicated to the Olympic Games, the team raised 1,380,000 UAH. This amount will cover the architectural documentation, developed by Pavlo Peker, allowing the project to be submitted to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. As this project leader Iryna Soloshenko remarked, "It's time to start digging!" This achievement is more than a financial success—it demonstrates the impact Ukrainians can make on systemic changes at a national level.
Behind the Scenes: How It All Came Together
Though the auction was a private event, we now want to extend our gratitude to everyone involved and share some highlights. The evening brought guests and donors together in the atmospheric venue of Vino e Cucina. Ristorante/Enoteca, a welcoming space generously provided for this charity event.
A vital part of the planning was finding a host who could deliver a professional yet heartfelt event. This role was masterfully taken on by renowned Ukrainian comedian and stand-up actress Lera Mandzyuk, whose boundless energy captivated every guest. Alongside Iryna Soloshenko, they inspired the audience to participate actively, achieving the fundraising goal needed to complete the project.
List of lots, that were presented at the auction
The Lots that Captured Hearts
The highlight of the event was the unique Olympic-themed auction lots provided by distinguished Ukrainian athletes. The first lot — a gold medal from the World Championships — was generously donated by Ukraine’s swimming world champion, Denys Sylantyev. Many other athletic heroes contributed unique items:
Olympic champion Natalia Dobrynska offered a shirt signed by Zhan Beleniuk and swimming goggles from Olympic athletes Maryna and Mykhailo Romanchuk.
Olympic Committee member Valeriy Andriytsev contributed a medal crafted from a destroyed Russian tank, created in honor of the 2024 Olympics on the initiative of judoka champion Heorhiy Zantaraya.
War veteran and Invictus Games 2024 participant Serhiy Khrapko donated a "Courage Lesson" wakeboarding masterclass.
Yaroslava Hres contributed a football ball signed by Andriy Shevchenko, and Serhiy Lytvynko added items signed by Oleksandr Usyk and Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.
The Iron Warriors veteran community, along with Vadym Svyrydenko, offered a Ukrainian flag signed by participants of a charity march in Scotland and by Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.
Yevhen Kuzmenko and Natalia Zhukova gifted a handcrafted wooden chessboard and set.
Boxing legend Alina Shaternikova donated a glove signed by Vitaliy Klitschko.
Other remarkable items included a signed shirt from Yulia "Taira" Paievska and a tennis ball signed by Elina Svitolina, donated by Sonia Sotnik.
Presents from our friends
Heartfelt Thanks to All Who Participated
The unique atmosphere was enhanced by custom gift baskets prepared by our friends. These included:
Jam from "Goodies from Ksena," whose family was also affected by the war,
Handcrafted candles from "SVICHKA ZNAE" by Lyudmyla Hurin, who supports the army,
Exquisite herbal tea from the Bioclinic,
Bento cakes from The Garden Cafe,
Lavender bouquets from SL Bouquet.
The evening closed on a sweet note with a celebratory cake depicting the future reception area, gifted by Olga Tkachenko, owner of Europassage. Olga has been a constant supporter of our foundation’s projects, and her involvement in this event was invaluable.
Our Heroes Are You
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in the charity auction! Your support has made the vision of a new reception area at the Main Military Clinical Hospital a reality. This evening demonstrated that, together, we can achieve great change.