Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Internationally considered an act of aggression, the invasion has triggered Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, with more than 4.4 million Ukrainians leaving the country, and a quarter of the population displaced.
Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) partnered with Virtual Concert Halls, a Virginia based internet television producer, to host a global online fundraising effort to benefit UNICEF USA (https://www.unicefusa.org/streaming), who are committed to providing emergency aid to families and children in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, Virtual Concert Halls broadcasted a 18-hour live internet stream from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. CT (6 a.m. to 12 midnight ET) from UIMA's headquarters in Chicago, and distributed it to major social media platforms. The event, titled "Helping UNICEF in Ukraine", streamed to platforms which included YouTube, LinkedIn, Vimeo, Facebook, and Twitch.
Sir Shefik Macauley, known mononymously as Shefik, is an accomplished industry insider, who has appeared on MTV, SiriusXM, PBS, BET, network television, and in print media, as well as internationally on TRT World (Turkey). He spoke during the event and provided the Voice-Over for a self-produced public service announcement, broadcast around 7 a.m. CT (8 a.m. ET).
UNICEF has been in Ukraine for 25 years — and it is on the ground now, delivering safe water, health and hygiene supplies, blankets, warm clothes, and psycho-social care to children and their families.
Last Updated: August 15, 2022
