The Kyiv Lions Club on April 18 restarted its annual Burns Night charity dinner.
It was not held last year because of the EuroMaidan Revolution and Russia’s war against Ukraine. The local chapter of the international service organization staged the event at the Kyiv City State Administration on April 19, made available for the evening at no cost by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The Lions Club raised net proceeds of $69,700 for the purchase of much-needed equipment for two Kyiv children’s hospitals. German business consultant Mark Kloepfel was the top bidder on items sold at auction, paying $26,000 for two ringside seats to an upcoming bout by world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, the mayor’s younger brother. “I feel good about it,” Kloepfel said afterwards. “I am looking forward to the fight. I hope it will take place in Kyiv. And it’s for a good cause.” Nearly 300 guests showed up for the evening. Ukraine provided the theme of the night, with men wearing blue-and-yellow pins on their lapels and women sporting the national colors on bracelets. The beneficiaries of the money raised include the Kyiv City Children’s Hospital and the Kyiv Center for Pediatrict Neurosurgery.
