Press Release
TORONTO, June 04, 2025 — What if on this International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression you could save a child’s life? From June 4-6, every donation made to Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s (CUF) campaign, Every Child Deserves a Future, will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Temerty Foundation, up to $100,000 – doubling the impact for vulnerable Ukrainian children.
Running through June 23, 2025, this urgent fundraising campaign provides critical support for the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of Ukrainian children forcefully abducted during Russia’s brutal war. Together we can restore safety, love, and the simple joy of dreaming to every child.
Joining the campaign, Indigenous and Canadian-Ukrainian singer-songwriter, Chantal Kreviazuk lends her voice and deeply personal connection to the cause. “My Métis grandmother was guarded about her family’s heritage due to the history of scooping children with Indigenous backgrounds. No child should be taken from their culture or their family,” said Kreviazuk.
Since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, more than 19,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly abducted, their identities, language, and culture threatened by systematic erasure. Through partnerships with Save Ukraine, Temerty Foundation, and the generosity of Canadians, donations have rescued 12 children from Russian captivity and provided hundreds more with comprehensive rehabilitation. On the ground, Save Ukraine leads courageous and highly coordinated rescue missions to bring these children home. Each mission is carefully planned and tailored to the unique circumstances of the child, with absolute discretion to ensure safety at every step. The work doesn’t end when a child is returned. These young survivors are supported through long-term recovery: physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
One of these children, Denys (16) was forcefully taken from Kherson to a “recreational camp” in occupied Crimea, where his life-threatening type 1 diabetes was ignored, leaving him critically ill. Desperate and alone, he reached out to Save Ukraine, and thanks to donor-supported rescue efforts, he was found and given the urgent medical care needed. Today, Denys is safe at the Center for Hope and Recovery, receiving the care and stability every child deserves.
The moral urgency and bravery behind these efforts to rescue Ukrainian children echo the legacy of historical resistance movements here in Canada, driven by a shared conviction every human being deserves freedom, dignity, and home.
“The Canada-Ukraine Foundation is proud to stand with Save Ukraine in this vital work. Through our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign, we’re helping restore what was stolen family, identity, and the right to grow up in peace,” said Olesia Luciw-Andryjowycz, Chair, Civil Society Committee Canada-Ukraine Foundation. “Every donation brings us one step closer to reuniting children with their loved ones, restoring their sense of safety, and offering them the chance to heal. With the support of the Temerty Foundation and caring Canadians, your donation will go twice as far from June 4 to 6 to help ensure these children are not forgotten and their future is protected.”
The forced deportation of children is recognized as an act of genocide under international law. Yet, thousands of children remain in captivity, waiting to be remembered, waiting to be brought home.
Every child deserves safety.
Every child deserves love.
Every child deserves a future.
Help bring Ukraine’s children home and give them back the future that should never have been lost. To donate and learn more about the CUF, please visit www.cufoundation.ca.
Media Contacts:
Zai Karim zai@kaphacommunications.com – 647-983-6669
Shannon Kenney shannon@kaphacommunications.com – 416-770-0359
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