Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher launch $30-million fundraiser to help her native Ukraine
“That ‘70s Show†stars Mila Kunis and husband Ashton Kutcher have launched a $30-million GoFundMe fundraiser to support the “proud and brave†Ukrainians on the ground of the besieged country, with plans to match donations up to $3 million.
“Proud Ukrainian†Kunis — who was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, and whose family immigrated to the United States in 1991 — deplored Russia’s “unjust attack†on the European nation and “humanity at large.†She said that their philanthropic work is meant to make “an immediate impact on refugee and humanitarian aid efforts.â€
“Our family is starting this fund to help provide immediate support and we will be matching up to $3 million,†the “Bad Moms†and “Family Guy†star said on the fundraiser page, echoing the sentiment in a YouTube video in which she appeared alongside Kutcher.
“While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety,†she added. “Countless amounts of people have left everything they know and love behind to seek refuge. With nothing but what they could carry, these Ukrainian refugees are in need of housing and supplies right away.â€
The actors’ Stand With Ukraine fundraiser, which launched Thursday afternoon, had already received more than 9,500 donations and raised nearly $3.4 million by early Friday morning. The celebrity couple has partnered with global logistics experts Flexport.org to organize shipments of relief supplies to refugee sites in Ukraine’s neighboring countries Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova. They also tapped vacation rental company Airbnb, in which Kutcher was an early investor, to provide free, short-term housing to Ukrainian refugees.
In a Thursday tweet launching the campaign, Kutcher added, “Standing with Ukraine means supporting Ukrainians.â€
The United Nations says 1.3 million people — about 3% of the country’s population — have fled Ukraine since the war began. Thousands of refugees are arriving every hour in neighboring Poland and Hungary.
Three organizations with operations in California are helping people in eastern Ukraine, and so is the Red Cross. Here’s how you can contribute.
A number of celebrities have shown their support for the Ukrainian people and President Volodymyr Zelensky as they fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the former Soviet nation. Oscar winner and humanitarian Sean Penn, who recently has been in Ukraine working on a film documentary, is encouraging the U.S. to come to the rescue of the embattled country. At the SAG Awards on Sunday, winners such as Michael Keaton, Jean Smart and Brian Cox spoke out against the crisis. And on Wednesday, Comedy Central’s “South Park†mocked Putin and his alleged reasons for aggression.
Others professional arts and culture organizations have been showing solidarity with Ukraine by severing ties with entertainers who support Putin. Russian conductor Valery Gergiev was dropped as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic this week and his Gergiev festival was canceled by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He also was dropped by the Vienna Philharmonic, the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and Milan’s Teatro alla Scala.
Meanwhile, opera singer Anna Netrebko withdrew from her future engagements at the Metropolitan Opera rather than repudiate her support for Putin, according to the Associated Press.
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