DOOR COUNTY, Wis. — A family in Door County is raising support for their home country of Ukraine through the sale of candles.
Christiana Gorchynsky Trapani owns Door County Candle Company and is of Ukrainian descent. She decided to sell candles with the colors of the Ukrainian flag to raise money for those caught in the middle of the conflict between Russia and her home country.
“I hope that it just reminds them that we are all behind them,” Gorchynsky Trapani said.
She's sold more than 4,000 of the candles as of Monday and she’s donating 100% of the proceeds Ukrainian-American human rights non-profit Razom.
Her father, George Gorchynsky, said they still have many family members living in Ukraine.
“It’s heart wrenching when we talk to them. It just brings tears to my eyes,” he said. “They’re, you know, seeing helicopters in their backyard. It’s sad.”
Christiana added she’s been surprised by the overwhelming support for her cause.
“I think a lot of people, me included, were feeling really helpless and wanted to help but just didn’t know how and I think that this shows that there’s a lot of people in support and a lot of really good people who want to do something,” she said. “I think it’s incredible.”
She plans to make her first big donation soon and will keep making the candles in hopes of making further donations. You can visit the business's Facebook page for details on how to help.