Help the Amazing Bilak Brothers raise money for those heroes still in Ukraine
I have written about the Bilak Brothers before. But this time want to highlight the charity they helped start at the beginning of the war in Ukraine. They were living in Kharkiv with their family when the bombing began. Russian bombs fell on their city every day. Together with friends they began a charity to help seniors, those with disabilities, children, and even helping to import medicines and food for animals who were suffering. The charity is active and being run by their heroic friends in Ukraine. I would urge anyone who can afford to give, whatever amount you can, to do so. The easiest way to do it is through PayPal and I know it works as I have donated. As they told me: “Today those heroes are helping not only people in the Kharkiv region, they are now visiting the Donetsk region and Kherson.” Again, the easiest way is with PayPal. Use this email to where your donation is being sent. zadelo.kh.ua@gmail.com.
As I wrote before, I am an inveterate cruiser, the kind of cruising done on a ship at sea. For years I have been traveling on beautiful Celebrity ships including Silhouette, EDGE, APEX, and this year on October 30th will be on the BEYOND out of Rome.
When on a ship for two weeks, I take the opportunity to meet some of the incredible entertainers. Two years ago, on Celebrity APEX, I had the pleasure of meeting Andrii & Mykhailo Bilak; amazing performers who do a Cirque du Soleil type act, as good, or better, than I have ever seen in a Cirque du Soleil show.
It was at the gym, most mornings on sea days, where I always saw one of them working out. I started a conversation and learned more about them. They told me a little bit about Ukraine and their home in Kharkiv. They are as nice and charming, as they are talented. I tried to keep in touch when they got back to Ukraine, and then the Russians invaded while they were home. I reached out to Andrii during the time they were living with their family in Kharkiv. He later told me the city was being bombed incessantly. He and his brother ended up being in Ukraine during the first eight months of the war. They said they were trying to keep up with their rehearsals, and workouts, sometimes in a basement or bomb shelter. At the same time, they were volunteering in the war effort, witnessing many terrorist acts committed by the Russians. Andrii told me “On the third day of the war, the Russians dropped a vacuum bomb next to my parent’s house. Luckily, we survived. The building next to ours was not as lucky and was destroyed. While ours wasn’t, our apartment was damaged. The civilian districts in Kharkiv were under constant shelling every day, every hour. This continued until Ukraine got help from other countries, including sophisticated air defense systems. Those systems helped to stop the constant Russian bombing which was killing civilians every day.” Today, their family, including mother, father, sister and her two daughters, are still living in Kharkiv. Missile attacks continue again almost every day, yet they don’t want to leave what is their home. Their bravery is amazing. We can only think about what we would do in such a situation and recognize the courage of people like the Bilak family, who are refusing to abandon their homes, and country, to the Russians.
So many of us want to help the brave people of Ukraine and by contributing to this volunteer charity is one way to do that.
I think it is important to say again how much Celebrity Cruises is doing to help their many Ukrainian crew members. If their families managed to get out, Celebrity would allow them to live on the ship with them. When Andrii and his brother finally could get out, they were immediately welcomed back by Celebrity.
Today the Bilak Brothers are working in the Celebrity Entertainment Studio, in Miami. They are creating a series of shows which will be part of the inaugural entertainment on the new Celebrity ASCENT, being launched before the end of 2023. You can book your cruise now through my favorite agency My Lux Cruise, owned by Scott Moster and his husband Dustin Ruffatto. ASCENT is the fourth in the Celebrity Edge series of ships. I won’t get the chance to cruise on the ASCENT until October 26, 2024 when I will join it on a transatlantic cruise out of Barcelona. I am envious of those who will be cruising on ASCENT for its first few months who will get the opportunity to enjoy the amazing Bilak Brothers. To see some more pictures and learn a little more about them and their work, just click on their Instagram account, or their website.
Again, I urge you to consider contributing and help the Bilak Brothers continue to support their fellow countryman through their charity.
