The first closed charity auction "Volunteer Charm" was held in Odesa, organized by the rating agency "ElitExpert" with the support of a number of public and charitable organizations, as well as the Grain Terminal "Kilia", PJSC "Odeskabel" and the international charity fund "Hero's Hugs".
The event, held at the Bristol Hotel in Odessa, brought together businessmen, philanthropists, public figures and representatives of charitable foundations in one hall to support important social initiatives.
The solemn tone of the event was set by the band of the 11th Brigade named after Mykhailo Hrushevskyi of the National Guard of Ukraine, which welcomed the auction guests.
The head of the ElitExpert rating agency, Olena Ovchinnikova, addressed the auction participants with a congratulatory speech, emphasizing the importance of supporting the funds at a time when revenues and donations objectively decreased.
"We consider it necessary to create a permanent communication platform where volunteers, patrons and business representatives can exchange ideas, resources and support each other," she stressed.
Ten charitable and volunteer organizations of the Odesa region took part in the event - each of them presented its unique lot and specific project for which funds were collected.
In total, during the evening, two dozen valuable lots were presented and drawn. Among them are art objects, shell casings, paintings, souvenirs and other items, each of which had a special meaning.
A special "Volunteer amulet" from the organizers, in the form of a glass award, was presented to representatives of charitable foundations - for their daily work, as well as patrons who bought lots - as a thank you for the generosity and support of the people of Ukraine.
The first lot was a Ukrainian flag signed by Kherson children, which was handed over to the auction by the event's partner, volunteer Yuriy Bessarab. The buyer paid 7 thousand hryvnias for this lot.
The following lot was presented by the representatives of the "Trymai" charitable foundation - it is a painted tube from a charging element for a 155-mm M777 howitzer called "The Burning Kremlin", which symbolized the hopes of all Ukrainians. He went under the hammer for 4 thousand hryvnias.
Under lot #3, the book by the Polish writer Joanna Racewicz "It's not the land - it's the people" about Ukrainian refugees in the first weeks of the war was presented. This lot from BF "Ajalyk" was sold for 3 thousand hryvnias.
Nataliya Terekhova, director of one of the oldest BFs in Odesa - "The Good Samaritan" - presented for auction a panel in the form of a map of Ukraine and nine photographs depicting the difficult everyday life of volunteers. The fund is raising money for the new project "Moms in Dresses", designed to create a comfortable environment for women whose children have special needs. The buyer paid 4 thousand hryvnias for this lot.
The next lot was presented by friends of the event — a boarding school for visually impaired children. Fourteen-year-old artist Sofia Topal's painting "The World After the War" was sold for 3 hryvnias.
The next lot, provided by the partners of the event, the Ne khustka brand and the Vilnodumni community, is an artificial silk handkerchief with the ornament of the city of Pereginske. It was sold for 6000 hryvnias.
The painting "Bright Future" from the public organization IMPRUV was presented by representatives of the organization Suzanne Jinanyan and Vladyslav Limaryov. The project that the team presented at the auction is the creation of a Center for Comprehensive Development of Children and Youth. The picture was sold for 4 thousand hryvnias.
The state flag with the signature of the Hero of Ukraine, General Kyryl Budanov, was the lot from the BF "Noble Cause". The lot was sold at auction for 50 thousand hryvnias.
A mace signed by Major General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmytro Marchenko from the same fund was sold for 10 hryvnias.
The non-governmental organization "Psychological Space of the TsDC" has put up for auction a truly Odessa lot - a collection of original printed texts of satirists Mykhailo Zhvanetskyi, Roman Kartsev and Viktor Ilchenko from the 1970s, with which they performed from the stage. The collection was sold for UAH 9000.
The "Babusya Leo" charitable foundation exhibited as a lot a trophy ammunition set, taken from the enemy and used against him by the Ukrainian military in the battles near Kherson. 7 thousand hryvnias were paid for it. The funds were collected for the project of rehabilitation and decompression of the military after combat missions.
The Barabanda musical group presented at auction a projectile and drums painted by children, for which they managed to get 2000 and 8000 hryvnias.
UAH 15 was received for the following lot - a musical instrument, a glucophone, from the partner of the event, the art studio "PUZZ DRUMS".
A bag from partners — the Odesa brand "etape" — was sold for UAH 2000.
Shells from anti-aircraft guns and howitzers, with which the military equipment and personnel of the enemy were hit in the fierce battles in the Kherson direction, were presented by volunteers of the BF "Joint Decision". The goal of fundraising was the purchase of FPV drones for the needs of the front. The lot was sold for UAH 1000.
A branded sweatshirt and chevrons of the organization "Defense of Odesa 2.0 Technicians" was sold for 3000 hryvnias. Volunteers collected money for further work on devices for rapid detection of enemy drones and other assistance to the defenders of the sky.
The event continued with the performance of the headliner of the auction, the popular Ukrainian singer Max Borodin, the author of the hits "If You Were Not You", "Chaika", "My Country", who ignited the audience with his talent. By the way, the singer's autograph with the lyrics of his new song was also presented at the auction as a lot and sold for 13 thousand hryvnias.
In the course of online voting, the winner of the charitable event was the public organization "Psychological space "TsDC", which presented the project of creating an inclusive center for children with special needs and their families.
In total, 152 thousand hryvnias were collected during the charity auction. Fifty percent of this amount will be distributed among the funds and organizations that participated in the event and presented their projects. Part of the funds will go to help Odessa residents who suffered as a result of a Russian drone strike on a nine-story building on March 2.
The rest of the funds will be given to the winner of the auction, the organization "Psychological space "TsDC" for the implementation of their project.
"It is very gratifying that many participants were able to establish communication with new partners at the auction," said Olena Ovchinnikova, the organizer of the event.
The closed charity auction "Volunteer Amulet" became a bright example of how art, kindness and mutual aid can unite people for a common goal - to support those in need. Moreover, the Organizing Committee of the auction emphasized that the Second "Volunteer Charm" will be held already in the summer of this year and will become even more massive.
Separately, the organizers express their gratitude to the partners of the event, without whom it would not have taken place. These are "Grande Vallee" TM, NEMO Hotel Resort & SPA, "Etape" company, Odesa Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after V. Vasylka; Olegart Production LLC; Hairdressing studio and hairdressing school of Nadiya Perina, art studio "PUZZ DRUMS" in the person of Yury Puzik and his wife Hanna, BF "With Odessa in the heart", charitable organization "Food for Life", founder of BF " Two cooks" Serhiy Kalinin, TM "Morshinska", artist Andriy Leshchenko (Art Forest), company "Etape"; Staff concert company; the founder of the community "Freethinkers" and the brand "Ne Khustka" Iryna Sagaidak, the founder of BF "Unia" Yuriy Besarab and the international model agency ROYAL FAMILY MODELS.
