More than HUF 36 million was collected during the charity fundraiser related to the Peace Concert initiated by the board of trustees of the István István Debrecen University Foundation, which maintains the University of Debrecen, to help Ukrainian refugees. Five aid organizations can spend the donations to provide and support people who are in a difficult situation due to the war.
The University of Debrecen and the sustaining Foundation for the University of Debrecen, Count Tisza István Debrecen, the City of Debrecen County, and historical churches organized the Peace Concert on May 6 in the Great Church with the aim of providing assistance to the victims of the crisis in Ukraine. Thanks to the cooperation, HUF 25 million was already collected in the bank account opened by the GTIDE Foundation before the event. At the concert and in the following weeks, the amount continued to increase, so a total of more than HUF 36 million in donations were received during the collection.
Based on the decision of the organizing committee of the Peace Concert, donations will be given to organizations that help refugees with food, housing, or education. The collected sum of money was handed over in a formal setting on Thursday, July 7, at the University of Debrecen.
– Thanks to all those who participated in the organization, execution, and donation. It was shown that cooperation has the power to set an example. We realized the Peace Concert in a short time, with joint efforts, which proved that serious results can be achieved so quickly. The goal is clear, the organizations can use these resources only to help those in trouble, and with this, the community can hopefully help the charitable bodies to carry out their work efficiently. An important message is that the city and the region are humane and ready to help if needed. Donations came from banks, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as large companies, all of which prove that charity is also important for economic actors – stressed György Kossa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the István István Debrecen Foundation for the University of Debrecen.
Károly Fekete, the bishop of the Tiszántúli Reformed Church District, thanked for the assistance on behalf of the churches participating in the charity campaign.
– All denominations and religious communities are constantly collecting and donating for the benefit of war refugees. This is not only our moral duty but also our religious conviction. The fact that we support Transcarpathia does not mean that we only help Hungarians, as we are aware that the region is the hinterland of Ukraine, where refugees come from all over and are waiting for help. Aid organizations know exactly what kind of support is needed, and they guarantee that the donations go exactly where they are intended, the bishop stated.
István Puskás, deputy mayor of Debrecen, said: the action showed the strength of the community.
– Those who were there in the Great Temple had an experience of a lifetime, it was an uplifting feeling to gather for such a noble cause. Such an event reinforces shared values, and helps to live the experience of becoming a community and coming together, but all this is worthless if these values are not implemented in practice. The intention to act was shown in the donation linked to the Peace Concert. We are very grateful to the University of Debrecen for helping the city’s cohesion with this initiative. Those in trouble can count on the Debrecen community – said István Puskás.
At the briefing, the representatives of the foundation, the university, the city, and the historical churches handed over the checks representing the donations to the representatives of the charitable organizations supporting the refugees.
The biggest donation, HUF 20 million, went to the Debrecen Charitable Board. The money will be used to winterize the Dorcas Leisure Center and Recreation Park, which provides temporary accommodation for refugees, as well as housing for refugee families. The offer was accepted by the president of the board, Éva Juhász Rózsahegyiné. As he said, a total of 300 refugees are taken care of in Debrecen, about two hundred are in Dorcas, and a hundred people have been placed in dormitories, with families, and in sublet apartments.
The Hungarian Reformed Charity Service received a donation of 7 million HUF, and the Subcarpathian Bridge Aid Program received more than 1.3 million HUF. Károly Czibere, chairman of the charity service’s board of trustees, explained that the donation will be used to strengthen the charitable activity and to support the work at the border assistance points.
The Roman Catholic Caritasz also plays an important role in helping Ukrainian refugees, their work was supported by the GTIDE Foundation with HUF 5 million from the donation. Zoltán Krakomperger, the general vicar of the Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza, said: the money will be used to put together aid packages containing durable food and cleaning and hygiene products.
The Eastern Hungarian Youth Foundation received 3 million forints, and the chairman of the board of trustees István Seszták thanked for the donation, the donation is used by the foundation for free meals and the organization of children’s camps.
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