Dnipro Appeal Charity Dinner 2014
Tickets are now on sale for this years Charity Dinner event, which will take place on Thursday the 23rd of October at the George Hotel in Edinburgh. The evening will be hosted by Radio Forth DJ and TV Personality Grant Stott and will also be attended by former WBO Super Featherweight Alex Arthur. We also hope to have special guest appearances from some personalities from the football world.

Update On Troubles In Ukraine
As you are all probably well aware, the troubles in Ukraine have escalated quite a bit since the last update. The downing of Malaysian Airways flight MH17 by pro-Russian separatists suddenly brought the troubles, that have been ongoing since January, into the worldwide spotlight. The political implications of the tragic event are likely to be quite substantial, and it remains to be seen whether this will affect Ukraine positively or negatively.
In the meantime the fighting in the eastern part of Ukraine continues and both military and civilian deaths are a daily occurrence as the fighting becomes more intense in the residential areas of the larger cities.
Thankfully Dnipropetrovsk is still relatively trouble free, but as it is currently one of the main staging points for the Ukrainian military it may well become a target for pro-Russian offensives if the eastern regions can’t be contained.
Proposed L’viv Trip for Foster Home Children
The main project that we are currently working on is a 5 day trip to the city of L’viv for the foster home orphans. As you might remember, from previous updates, we had to cancel the originally proposed trip to Crimea when the troubles started. We don’t want to see the kids missing out on a trip this year though, so we have decided to travel to the furthest point away from the troubles, and head for the beautiful western city of L’viv. The trip will take place in September and we are currently looking at the various activities, and places of interest, that will make this trip as memorable as possible for the children.
Due to the distance of L’viv from Dnipropetrovsk (approximately the same as Inverness to Penzance) we will, for the first time, be taking the children on the train. Even by train though (an overnight sleeper) it will still be close to a 19 hour journey for them. Leaving at just after 11am on the Thursday they are expected to arrive in L’viv around 6am the next morning.
We will hopefully be in a position to provide more information on the trip by the time of the next update.
Hasanskaya Foster Home Renovations
In the last update we told you how the Hasanskaya foster home was needing financial assistance to complete the renovations to provide additional living space for the children there. I am glad to say that thanks to Dnipro Kids the final part of the renovation, the stairway to the converted loft space, was completed earlier this month.
 
The majority of the work was carried out by foster parent Yuri .. seen here sporting the best sports shirt in Dnipropetrovsk.
 
And even the swimming pool was completed in time for the good weather
 
Although Yuri did have additional help .. with Timur showing he was ready for the heavy labouring jobs and his brother Yura on quality control.
 
June Birthday Trip for Foster Homes
At the end of June there was a birthday trip for some of the children from the foster homes. Ira spoke with the foster parents prior to the trip, to find out what each of the kids wanted as their birthday gifts. Once the birthday list was compiled we sent Ira out on her shopping mission to make sure they all had what they asked for.
As most of the kids on this trip were younger, they chose Playland Arcade as their preferred birthday destination (although even the older kids were spotted having fun on the smaller kids games).
Yura Pashkovskyi asked for a backpack and a nice watch
 
Tonya Tarasova wanted a nice pair of summer shoes and “girly” purse
 
Timur Pashkovskyi also wanted a nice pair of shoes but his eyes were really focused on a toy army truck
 
Masha Pashkovskaya wanted a nice pink backpack and a nice watch
 
Lena Kotova, like Tonya, also wanted a nice pair of summer shoes and a “girly” purse
 
Vitalyi Krohmal wanted a sturdy pair of trainers for his sports
 
Sporty Spice Natasha Lebedyeva asked for a proper basketball she could practice with and a “sporty” purse to finish off her sporty look
 
Nastya Puzir wanted a brightly coloured backpack filled with some “girly” deodorants
 
Maksim Karlov wanted a football, but also wanted to add to his diecast metal car collection
 
And as an extra birthday bonus, the boys were all given a football top, for their summer football “kick-abouts”
 
Child Sponsorship
If you are not already a Child Sponsor please consider direct sponsorship of one of the children that we support in Dnipropetrovsk. Your monthly contributions will assist in providing birthday, Christmas and summer trips for these kids as well as helping to support the many other projects that we fund for the children.
As you can see from the previous story, you have the ability to follow the fortunes of your sponsored child, with regular updates and photos.
For details about Child Sponsorship please email me directly steven@dniprokids.com
Donating to Dnipro Kids
We have a secure link set up on the main website, for anyone wishing to make a direct donation to the charity.
Visit the Facebook page and add Dnipro Kids to your friends list.
http://www.facebook.com/dnipro.kids
Yours,
Steven Carr,
Dnipro Appeal Committee.
