When Savannah resident Inna Kvanina Adams heard the news that Russian forces had invaded Ukraine, she spent two weeks crying and feeling helpless.
Suddenly, she felt small in the face of a war that has trapped her parents and millions of other Ukrainian citizens torn apart by the attacks.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
At the beginning of March, her husband Matthew Adams, a Savannah State University professor, traveled to Poland to aid Ukrainian refugees. With his visit, he started The Polish American Relief Fund for Ukrainian Children to aid Ukrainian refugee children and mothers and provide food relief, find safe host homes and transportation throughout Europe. Matthew also helped his father and mother-in-law evacuate and get on a flight to the U.S.
Her husband’s helping spirit inspired Inna. “I realized then that he’s my hero,” Inna said.
“I sent my soldier over abroad. What can I do here in Savannah?”
Credit: Courtesy of Inna Kvanina Adam
Credit: Courtesy of Inna Kvanina Adam
Ukraine support parade float
Along with other local Ukrainians, she began to attend peaceful rallies where the idea of building a Ukraine support float for the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade came about. Local Ukrainian artist Oksana Gruszka connected Inna with the parade commissioners who were supportive of the idea.
However, the daunting part was that the ask came only two days before the parade with no float in sight.
Credit: Courtesy of Inna Kvanina Adam
Credit: Courtesy of Inna Kvanina Adam
But Inna knew that the community would want to help support this big mission. “In Russian, there’s a saying that if you collect one thread from each person in the world, you'll create a shirt for a naked person, so that's how it happened.”
A trailer from a friend who also ended up driving his truck with the float.
Fabric and flowers from supporters through a Facebook group.
The help of a Ukrainian man who drove down from Atlanta to build the front half of the float where a “Pray for Ukraine” sign sat.
Credit: Courtesy of Inna Kvanina Adams
Credit: Courtesy of Inna Kvanina Adams
It all came together in those two days where the work of a group of determined people resulted in a float adorned in blue and yellow that rolled down the streets of Savannah. As the float continued its procession, the St. Patrick's Day parade-goers went from dancing and partying to clapping and cheering in support.
On and around the float were people from all over including those from Ukraine, Lithuania, Mexico, Liberia, Italy, Brazil and the United States.
Hilton Head Island resident Kateryna Henzler was one of those people. She was looking for ways to join a peaceful demonstration and help spread awareness of the Russian-Ukraine war when she found out about the float through a Facebook group. Participating in the parade, Henzler could see that so many people were touched by their efforts.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
“Everybody had their flags, their outfits, their boards. It was just great. It was really really good for us. And for them as well,” Henzler said.
A rally of support from all over
While Henzler called the event heartwarming, it was heartbreaking for her as well.
Henzler’s father, brother and mother have been stuck in an underground bomb shelter for a month as air raid sirens sound throughout the country and missile and rocket barrages, tank advances and gun battles continue.
Her father and brother are unable to evacuate due to the period of martial law declared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that prohibits male citizens between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving Ukraine.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Henzler used the same word Inna did when describing her feelings: helpless.
But within that bomb shelter, Henzler's father has created an Etsy account where he sells digital downloads of Ukrainian symbols and desktop wallpapers to raise money for the Ukrainian army. So far, he has raised $600.
A community of people organizing a Ukraine support parade float to spread awareness in any way they can, and a father stuck in a bomb shelter who’s using limited resources to raise money for the local Ukrainian army are just two ways that people have banded together to show support for Ukraine, its people and everyone affected by the ongoing war.
Credit: Courtesy of Inna Kvanina Adam
Credit: Courtesy of Inna Kvanina Adam
“Ukraine can't fight by itself,” Inna said. “This is such a bigger country with bigger population ... so having an international community understanding what's happening is so important for Ukraine.”
Laura Nwogu is the quality of life reporter for Savannah Morning News. Contact her at LNwogu@gannett.com. Twitter: @lauranwogu_
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 'Ukraine can't fight by itself': In two days, organizers built Savannah St. Patrick's Day float
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