NewsHail
25 May 2025
Musicians came together to raise money for people in Ukraine.
The event, called Play for Ukraine, was held at the Face Bar in Reading, Berkshire, on Saturday. It was the fourth event since the war with Russia started in 2022.
All the money raised will help pay for a vehicle. This vehicle will carry food, medicine, and other supplies to the war zone.
Pete Laschok, a drummer who helped organize the event, said it was not about politics. His father was from Ukraine.
"I just want to help," Pete said. "It makes me very sad to see what's happening."
"Bombs are still falling. People are dying," he said.
Pete doesn't think the war will end soon. He believes Ukraine will need help for a long time.
Five bands played at the event. They were:
Pink Diamond Revue
Natural Right
Hoopy Frood
Kryla
He Fired First
Last year, the group raised money for a vehicle that is still working in Ukraine.
Pete said he hopes his late father would be proud. But he also said, "It’s good he didn’t see the war. It would have broken his heart."
Stefan Bomok works with the Reading Branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain. The group will send the money and the vehicle to Ukraine.
They have already sent five 4x4 vehicles from Reading.
Stefan said the new vehicle will carry medical help and supplies to soldiers. It will also bring injured people back to hospitals.
His father was also Ukrainian. Stefan said he first went to Ukraine just before it became an independent country.
He said, "We saw the flag go up in Kyiv. I felt at home there, more than in England. My father gave me a strong connection to Ukraine."
