An estimated 3,000 revelers descended on Kyiv International School Stadium for the annual Fourth of July picnic to celebrate American Independence Day.
They came dressed in red, white and blue vyshyvanka, hats, ties and t-shirts and carried flag-shaped blankets to sit on.
The weather, stage music, children’s play zone and company did not disappoint as people lounged in the sun and under giant tents.
But the small number and limited choice of food outlets caused grumbling and created long lines and long waits for a burger or anything to eat. By contrast, beer and wine sold quickly with almost no waiting at those stations.
A succession of groups kept the crowd entertained with live concerts, including Airport, Duck & Cover, Numer 482 bands and headliner Alena Vinnitskaya.
The grand raffle, presided over by American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine president Andy Hunder, benefited Unicef Ukraine, which supports children and families in Ukraine.
The annual Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine event has been held at the Kyiv International School Stadium for the last two years, relocating from Kyiv’s Spartak Stadium in prior years. The chamber represents 600 companies.
Numerous American and Ukrainian businesspeople and dignitaries were on hand, including U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey R. Pyatt and member of parliament Hanna Hopko.
More information as well as a list of corporate sponsors, partners and and providers can be found here:
http://www.chamber.ua/picnic/2015
More information about Unicef’s work can be found here:
http://www.unicef.org/ukraine/overview.html
