August 2025
Dear Friends of Ukraine,
When Sunflower Seeds Ukraine started back in February of 2022, Andriy and Viktoriya were sending medical supplies to their friends Oksana and Yurii in Ukraine, where they distributed them to civilians signing up to defend their country. Four people, doing what they could to help hundreds. In the span of just a few years, we’ve grown into an organized team of 30 team members, more than 100 volunteers, and over 2,000 donors, focused on one mission to save the lives and strengthen the resolve of Ukrainian Defenders.
Together, we’ve proven that determination, teamwork, and community can make a tremendous impact on the world in which we live. Every contribution–from the team members who dedicate dozens of hours every month to spearhead critical projects, to the volunteers who help us pack pallets and staff event tables, to every donor who makes our work possible–has enabled us to do this important work for more than three years.
In this edition of our newsletter, we’ll be highlighting the outstanding achievements of some of our team members and how they have helped support Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty. Read on to learn more about how Defenders benefited from your donations for the previous month, our project to help a village school in Ukraine, how you made Dine Out for Ukraine a massive success, why the Ukrainian flag is blue and yellow, and much more. Or, read no further and click “Donate now” above.
Thank you for being part of our community of supporters.
Together we are stronger!
Kyle, Andriy, Ulana, Natalie and all of us at
Sunflower Seeds Ukraine
Spread Seeds of Help!
In June 2025, generous donations from 196 of you allowed us to provide 343 Defenders with 2,558 items:
200 individual first-aid kits (tourniquets, chest seals, hemostatic dressings...)
727 protective equipment items (knee pads, earmuffs, tactical gloves...)
1,249 tactical gear items (load-bearing vests, backpacks, water canteens...)
171 uniform components (including actual uniforms, boots, hats…)
211 optical devices (binoculars, range finders...) and other special items
This hot summer month, camelbacks and water filters were in high demand. Thanks to each of you who supported our 'hydrate' and 'protect' fundraising campaigns over the past two months, and all who helped pack supplies during our pallet-packing event. This aid wouldn’t be possible without you! You fuel our mission to save the lives and strengthen the resolve of Ukrainian Defenders.
In a small village in Ukraine, 500 children are counting on the generosity of supporters just like you to keep their school open, warm, and safe. The school’s boiler is broken, and if it doesn’t get replaced now, students will attend school in freezing temperatures this winter or have to learn remotely. The “bomb shelter”–a tiny basement beneath the school–has a single bathroom that serves all 500 students. We’re going to install two additional restrooms to properly accommodate their needs. We’re also going to install a PA system for air raid alerts. Even a few seconds of warning can mean the difference between life and death.
The estimated costs for these renovations are:
🔥 Replace a Broken Boiler: $12,000
🚻 Install Two Restrooms in the Bomb Shelter: $10,000
📢 Add a PA System for Air Raid Alerts: $3,000
These are big numbers to reach, so every contribution matters!
Please help us keep these students warmer and safe: Make a donation today.
Thank you for making Dine Out for Ukraine 2025 a resounding success! On July 24th, more than 50 restaurants across 15 towns participated, and hundreds of supporters headed to those establishments to show their solidarity for Ukraine and support the eateries that support us. The numbers aren’t in yet, but with each eatery donating between 5% and 15% percent of the day's sales to Sunflower Seeds Ukraine, we’re confident we’ll meet our goal of $25,000.
Thank you to everyone who dined out at one of the venues: We enjoyed meeting many of you and appreciate you taking the time to make this fundraiser a success. When you go out for a meal this year, please continue to support the restaurants who supported Dine Out for Ukraine 2025! You can find links to their websites here.
To learn more, check out our blog post.
Upcoming Events
Join us at the Colorado Ukrainian Festival on Saturday, August 23rd from 1-9 at Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park in Lakewood. Organized by Ukrainians of Colorado, this is the state’s largest celebration of Ukrainian culture, music, food, and freedom, held annually in honor of Ukraine's Independence Day. Sunflower Seeds Ukraine will be there and we'd love to see you! Please stop by our booth to say hi to the volunteer bees! To purchase tickets in advance, go to www.coloradoukrainianfestival.org
Save the Date
September 14 - The NaDiya Band fundraiser at Avagadro’s Number
July Recap
A big thank you to the volunteers who helped us pack pallets at our July 19th pallet packing event. We’d also like to thank our friends at Copper Mountain, who generously donated hundreds of high-quality winter snowpants and parkas! We sent them in the most recent container to arrive ahead of the winter season.
To read more and for a recap of our June events, see our blog post.
Meet Austin, a talented chef who brings his “signature recipe” to his role as SFSU volunteer. Austin’s involvement in our July Dine Out event was nothing short of heroic: In addition to signing up an array of restaurants in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where he lives, he baked and sold dozens of stout beer cake slices to support the cause. Go, Austin!
Austin cites his grandfather, Colonel Ben Novak, as his inspiration. At age 90, the retired Air Force veteran still volunteers for hospitals and the police. He and another of Austin’s grandfathers are both from Ukraine: “We are incredibly smart and resilient people,” Austin says.
A jack of all trades, Austin helps with various activities ranging from pallet packing and tabling to organizing pop-ups and events. He first discovered SFSU at the Colorado Ukrainian Festival in Belmar Park, Lakewood. His message to supporters is: “Never stop believing. We can win this fight. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Heroes.”
To read more, go to our Patreon page, where we also post other exclusive content.
UKRAINE’S NATIONAL COLORS – A HISTORY OF IDENTITY AND RESISTANCE
Ukraine’s blue-and-yellow flag—sky above wheat—symbolizes both the nation’s landscape and its resilience. The colors trace back to the heraldry of medieval Ruthenia and Lviv, where golden lions stood on azure backgrounds.
In 1917, the Ukrainian People’s Republic adopted the blue over yellow order, linking it to both heraldic tradition and modern national identity. Despite political upheavals between 1917–1922 and Soviet bans, the flag survived in exile and underground.
Today, Ukraine’s colors are recognized worldwide, from city squares to illuminated global landmarks, as symbols of sovereignty, freedom, and unity.
To read the full story, check out our blog post.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS
Want to learn more about how this month’s Help Repair a Village School in Ukraine! fundraiser got started and how our team member spotlight on the month Austin made a big impact on Dine Out for Ukraine? Check out or blog for more!
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
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*The misspelling and lower casing of proper names like ‘russia’ in this newsletter is intentional and used as signs of disdain and disrespect. Similarly, the uppercasing of words such as ‘Defenders’ is intentional and used as a sign of respect and appreciation.
Note: Sunflower Seeds Ukraine is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 99-3371103) registered in the state of Colorado, in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by U.S. law.
