Revived Soldiers Ukraine will host its 10th anniversary fundraising gala Saturday night at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club.
Featuring a keynote speaker, auction and musical performances, the nonprofit hopes to raise awareness of Ukraine’s war with Russia, form local partnerships and raise funds to support wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
“I want to share the important work that the fund is doing,” said Los Altos resident Ruslana Deykun, a RSU volunteer and gala organizer. “We’re also very grateful for the support of the American people because none of this – the equipment or complicated surgeries – could happen without their support.”
Iryna Vashchuk, who received the highest civilian honor from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, founded RSU in 2015. For a decade now, the American nonprofit has provided free medical services to wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Vashchuk said RSU operates two rehabilitation centers in Ukraine, serving about 45 wounded soldiers daily.
“The money running both facilities in Ukraine comes from the U.S., including the funds raised from this gala,” Vashchuk said.
She added money raised will repair destroyed infrastructure on Ukrainian military bases and provide hospital equipment, including ultrasound machines, ambulances and generators.
In the U.S., RSU partners with hospitals and prosthetic specialists to provide treatments unavailable in Ukraine, whether due to undersupplied labor or equipment, according to Vashchuk.
“There are high cases of amputations and Ukrainian prosthetic centers are unable to help,” Vashchuk said. “We bring those guys to the U.S., for leg prosthetics in Orlando, and for arms in Philadelphia. Soldiers stay with us from six months to two years, so it’s a long-term treatment.”
RSU has partner hospitals across the East Coast and Midwest, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Northwestern Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital. Saturday’s gala marks RSU’s first event in Northern California.
“We would like the Silicon Valley crowd to support Ukraine,” Vashchuk said. “And maybe we can find hospitals in California that will want to accept our guys, either pro bono or with a price we can afford.”
Deykun hopes the Bay Area’s tech scene can help them even more – one of the main goals of the gala.
“We’re trying to build more partnerships with hospitals, but also various biomedical and robotics startups in Silicon Valley,” Deykun said.
Partnerships aside, Deykun hopes the gala will bring more awareness of the Russia-Ukraine war in the local community.
“We get strong support from the Ukrainian community, Ukrainian diaspora, but we really want to engage more Americans here,” Deykun said. “They don’t know much about our nonprofit, so we’re doing what we can.”
Bill Cole, a Bay Area local and founder of the Peace Through Strength Institute, will deliver the gala’s keynote speech. He also hopes to increase RSU’s visibility in the local community.
“What Revived Soldiers Ukraine is doing, it’s very compelling,” Cole said. “It’s an amazing nonprofit, and I hope that people see that and contribute. There’s been too much ignorance. If people would really rally and speak from their hearts, I’m convinced that change would happen.”
The gala will also feature live and silent auctions – including a Ukrainian flag signed by Zelenskyy and helmets of Ukrainian pilots killed in battle – and performances by Ukrainian singers Arina Domsky and Sonya Sukhorukova.
Also that night, six Ukrainian soldiers will share their war and recovery stories.
Among them is 30-year-old Dmytro Nyshchyk, who lost both his legs in battle. He is receiving prosthetic treatment in Orlando and lives with three other wounded soldiers, all supported by RSU.
“When RSU fundraises, it’s going towards helping the next soldier like me, the next comrade,” Nyshchyk said through a translator. “It’s important for me to be part of these events that help wounded soldiers.”
These stories should be the highlight of the night, according to Deykun.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet Ukrainians and hear their stories, relate to the culture, hear from the wounded and their stories of why they joined the army and why they fight,” Deykun said.
For all its organizers, RSU’s gala is more than just raising money – it’s for the local community to connect, learn about soldiers’ resilience and celebrate the work the organization has done.
“We don’t want people just to come in and give money,” Vashchuk said. “We want people to have a great time, enjoy themselves. See some interesting artists, hear some great stories.”
The gala begins at 5 p.m. at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club, 1560 Country Club Drive. Tickets start at $135.
For tickets and more information, visit rsukraine.org/events.
