Uniting hearts: Hollywood stars supported Ukraine at TOP USA Awards in New York

The other day, the TOP USA Awards and the presentation of the book Top 100 American Entrepreneurs of Ukrainian Origin were held in New York at the historic Cipriani building in Manhattan.

The event began with a moment of silence in memory of those who died in recent strikes on Ukraine's southern city of Odesa and all victims of Russia's terrible war, Rubryka reports.

Hollywood actress Melora Hardin, known for her role in the American TV show The Office, lit up the stage.

"Your spirit and determination inspire us all. Your success stories serve as beacons of hope, reminding us of the incredible potential within each of us. Please stay strong, continue your fight, and keep your spirit of courage. Together, side by side, we will win this fight!" Hardin said from the stage.

Natasha Henstridge, a famous Hollywood actress who starred in 9 Yards with Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, emotionally shared her observations about the strength and steadfastness of the Ukrainian people, promising to do everything possible to draw the attention of American society to the war.

This event was organized to demonstrate that Ukrainians are robust and influential people capable of success in any sphere of life.

"Ukrainians create amazing products and influence the lives of the whole world, including America," shared Diana Getun and Taras Lavrovsky, co-founders of the TOP USA Awards. "We believe this is all thanks to the Ukrainian blood flowing in our veins."

Chris Browning, a star actor in the series Ray Donovan, spoke on the stage about his life experience in Crimea in the 90s, where he was shooting a film, and noted that it was the best period of his life. He dreams of returning there with his children only when occupied Crimea returns to Ukraine.

In addition to honoring successful Ukrainian businesses, this event was an occasion to raise funds for the United24 fundraising platform and Cash for Refugees.

United24 ambassador Ivanna Sakhno personally presented the charity auction and assured that every dollar would be spent on the reconstruction of the Mykhailo-Kotsyubinsky Lyceum in the war-torn Chernihiv region. The Cash for Refugees Fund plans to use the collected funds to support the residents of the villages of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, which are near the front.

The auction featured a T-shirt signed by the former Tottenham forward and current head coach of the Ukrainian national team Serhii Rebrov, as well as an embroidered wedding shirt for the 20th anniversary of the Vinnytsia region and a ballet tutu by Kateryna Kuhar, an outstanding soloist of the National Opera of Ukraine. An extraordinary sum of $80,000 was collected together.

Kateryna Osadcha and Yurii Horbunov acted as presenters. All those present had the opportunity to enjoy the performance of Ukrainian singer Tina Karol. They were also pleasantly surprised by borscht in the form of a dessert by Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko.

Background

The UNITED24 online platform was launched on May 5, 2022. It was created to collect funds to help Ukraine. All funds go to the accounts of the National Bank of Ukraine, secured by the relevant ministries: the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine.

We will remind you that Ukrainian football player and coach Andrii Shevchenko became the first ambassador of the United24 fundraising platform.

Rubryka also reported that Andrii Shevchenko, together with UNITED24, started the reconstruction of the stadium in Irpin, which was destroyed during the occupation of the Kyiv region by Russian troops.