February 24 2022, war broke out in Ukraine. My wife Krystyna her parents lived in Severodonetsk, now occupied by the Russians. So we were immediately intensely involved and started setting up aid campaigns. First, through a network in Ghent, we sent humanitarian aid camionettes over there. On 28 February, Belgian composer Piet Swerts started artistic actions, such as composing a Peace Hymn as a peaceful protest, for symphonic and concert band, for piano four hands and for organ. All these materials are offered for free on the platform zodiaceditions.com to spread this message, not make people forget and continue to support, financially and morally. We also wanted to offer direct concrete help to mini-projects through direct contacts through Krystyna, because there is a need for support, especially in the west region. This is how Art4Ukraine came into being.

Millions of refugees from Ukraine are trying to escape the violence of war. Meanwhile, in this troubled country itself, thousands of cancer patients, among others, are taken care of and cared for in (shelters) basements, metro stations, etc.. There is a chronic lack of medical supplies and oncology drugs for these children, some of whom have lost their parents.

One of the first actions of Art4Ukraine was a small one, but important. We helped to restore and repair a donated ambulance in the Donbas region. It costed about 400€.

The Kick Off of the Delta Ride of The Roses took place in Terneuzen, NL on Wednesday evening, 12 April 2022. To this, my spouse and I were invited as VIPs.

This volunteer organization organizes an annual cycling event for young and old throughout Zeeland, during which the entire registration fee is collected for the Queen Wilhelmina Fund for the benefit of cancer research and support. For more information about this association see www.deltarideoftheroses.nl. 10% of their annual proceeds are allocated to charity applications. This year, two applications were thus approved, including our initiative Art4Ukraine. On 12 June it was announced what the actual proceeds of this event will be, but regularly amounts above €150,000 were collected earlier, given that more than 8000 applications have now also been registered it would be no different.

Yesterday we experienced that announcement: a record amount of 192000€ was raised!  5% of that will be donated to our project, i.e. €9625 for Art4Ukraine which we donated to the Tabletochki Charity Foundation.

In consultation with Queen Wilhelmina Fonds Kankerbestrijding (NL), we cooperated with the Tabletochki Charity Foundation for this donation. This organization is an internationally recognized partner (UICC) of the KWF and supports children with cancer, their families, oncology doctors and other oncology aid workers in Ukraine. See also www.tabletochki.org. They have been in existence for 11 years, have already collected over 20 M°€, helped 6000 children, structurally support 500 children every month, work with 21 units and were able to raise 689819 USD in March 2022 alone.

The current state of the fundraising campaign of private donations was €2605€.

Moreover, on 25 May, Piet Swerts gave a successful benefit concert for Ukraine in cooperation with Piano's Maene and Lions Club Lievegem.

This concert raised 5000€.

In July, the Dutch Symphonic Wind Orchestra 'Excelsior' gave six concerts in the North of France and spontaneously collected money for our projects. The last evening when we were present they played the Peace Hymn and donated 2700€ from the French public.

With all remaining funds we purchased clothes and about 1000 kg food supplies. In addition, we also purchased 100 tourniquets, (3400€) which are in shortage all over the hospitals.

In August, my spouse together with driver Koen travelled with all this goods to the west of Ukraine, where in four weeks about 40 families were given aid. Unfortunately, this was for them the first them that they really received some help.