Ruslana Wrzesnewskyj and Andy Cottrell Receive Meritorious Service Medal from Governor General

Ukrainian Canadian Congress

Ruslana Wrzesnewskyj and Andy Cottrell received the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Rt. Hon. David Johnston, at Rideau Hall on December 11. The Medal was awarded to them for initiating Help Us Help the Children, founded in 1994, “a project dedicated to improving the quality of life of orphan children in Ukraine. Over the years, they have provided Ukrainian youth in institutional care with access to school supplies, educational camps and scholarship programs. Their efforts empowered many Ukrainian children to better their lives.”

UCC National President Paul Grod stated, “On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community, I offer my sincere congratulations to Ruslana and Andy on receiving this award. Their tireless determination and resolve are a wonderful example to us all of what can be achieved when we dedicate ourselves to volunteerism, charity and service.”

“We are honoured to receive this recognition from the Governor General. We humbly receive this award on behalf of the hundreds of volunteers who have worked so hard to make Help Us Help the Children a success. We thank the Ukrainian community in Canada, which has so strongly supported this project for the past two decades,” stated Wrzesnewskyj and Cottrell. “It is because of Canada that we have learned the true meaning of giving back to the community. Through the efforts of our volunteers and donors, thousands of orphans in Ukraine have grown up to become successful members of Ukraine’s society.”

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