ON THE WAR FRONT, IT HAS BEEN
THREE WEEKS SINCE THE RUSSIANS
INVADED UKRAINE.
THE PERSONAL STORIES OF
BRUTALITY AND SURVIVAL GET WORSE
AS THE ONSLAUGHT CONTINUES.
THE DEATH TOLL FOR CIVILIANS IS
RISING.
IT CAN BE HEARTBREAKING TO
WATCH, ESPECIALLY FOR ONE DOOR
COUNTY FAMILY WITH DEEP
UKRAINIAN ROOTS.
AS MARISA WOJCIK SHOWS US, THEY
ARE HEART BROKEN, BUT NOT
HELPLESS.
>> I REMEMBER SITTING AND
WATCHING THE NEWS TWO WEEKS AGO,
I WAS SO MAD, I WAS HURT, UPSET,
VERY HELPLESS.
>> CHRISTIANA GORCHYNSKY TRAPANI
WANTED TO TAKE ACTION AS SHE SAW
IMAGES OF RUSSIAN FORCES
BRUTALLY ATTACK UKRAINE AND ITS
PEOPLE.
>> I KNEW I WANTED TO DO
SOMETHING TO HELP SO I FIGURED,
WELL, I KNOW HOW TO MAKE CANDLES
WITH A CANDLE COMPANY BE, LET'S
USE THIS.
>> OWNER OF A SMALL ARTISAN SHOP
CALLED DOOR COUNTY CANDLE
COMPANY, SHE BEGAN MAKING
CANDLES WITH BLUE AND YELLOW
WACHS, THE COLORS OF THE
UKRAINIAN FLAG.
>> SO I WROTE A POST ON FACEBOOK
AND I WAS LIKE, I JUST DID A
LITTLE PREVIEW THAT I'M GOING TO
BE LAUNCHING A FUNDRAISER
TOMORROW, STAY TUNED.
WOKE UP AND WE'RE LIKE, OH, MY
GOD, A THOUSAND, OKAY, 2,000,
OKAY, 3.
>> THE ORDERS HAVE NOW REACHED
20,000.
>> THAT'S LIKE WHAT WE TYPICALLY
WOULD SELL IN A YEAR.
>> 20,000 CANDLES THAT ARE MADE
BY HAND, IN THIS SMALL SHOP IN
STURGEON BAY.
>> I THINK I CRY EVERY DAY JUST
HEARING, LIKE, THE STORIES AND I
COULD CRY NOW.
IT MEANS SO MUCH, AND IT MEANS
THAT SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO
HELP, AND SO MANY PEOPLE WERE
FEELING HELPLESS AND JUST DIDN'T
KNOW HOW TO HELP.
>> MOVED BY THE NEWS AND CHRIS
CHRISTIANA'S ENERGY, VOLUNTEERS
IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE TURNED OUT
IN SUPPORT, INCLUDING THE SHOP'S
FOUNDER, WHO SOLD THE BUSINESS
TO CHRISTIANA JUST LAST SUMMER.
>> WE SAW SHE SOLD 3,000 CANDLES
IN A DAY.
I SAID, WHAT?
I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO NEED A
LITTLE HELP.
>> HE WAS LIKE, CAN I HELP?
I'M LIKE HE Y WHEN CAN YOU BE
HERE?
>> HE'S INDEFINITELY OUT OF
RETIREMENT FOR NOW.
>> I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED
ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS.
I'VE MADE A LOT OF CANDLES IN MY
DAY, BUT NEVER ANYTHING LIKE
THIS.
>> TO HANDLE THE NEW VOLUME OF
ORDERS, MIKE IS HELPING
IMPLEMENT NEW WAYS TO STREAMLINE
THE LABOR AND TIME-INTENSIVE
PROCESS.
>> I FIND IT HEARTWARMING,
THE DEGREE OF SUPPORT THAT WE'VE
GOTTEN.
IT'S AMAZING.
I'VE SEEN A LOT OF GOOD THINGS
IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT THIS TYPE
OF SUPPORT HAS BEEN JUST UTTERLY
AMAZING.
>> THIS PROJECT MEANS A LOT TO
ANOTHER VOLUNTEER: CHRISTIANA'S
FATHER.
>> I HAVE TO BE HERE.
I HAVE TO HELP.
>> WHEN HE'S NOT DOING 12-HOUR
SHIFTS AS AN E.R. PHYSICIAN,
HE'S DOING 12-HOUR SHIFTS
HELPING HIS DAUGHTER.
>> I'M FIRST GENERATION
UKRAINIAN, MY PARENTS EMIGRATED
FROM UKRAINE AS WORLD WAR II.
I WAS RAISED UKRAINIAN, IN FACT,
I SMOKE UKRAINIAN UNTIL FIRST
GRADE.
>> HE AND CHRISTIANA'S MOTHER
PASSED THE LANGUAGE ON TO THEIR
CHILDREN.
>> IT WAS THE FIRST LANGUAGE I
LEARNED BEFORE I LEARNED ENGLISH
AND THAT'S HOW I TALKED TO MY
GRANDPARENTS, ONLY IN UKRAINIAN.
IT'S KEPT ME REALLY CLOSE TO MY
CULTURE AND HERITAGE.
>> HER MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER TOOK
THE NEWS OF THE RUSSIAN
INNOVATION HARD.
>> MY GRANDMA WAS BORN IN
UKRAINE SO SHE IS MY ONLY
GRANDPARENT LEFT.
WE WERE SITTING WITH HER, AND
SHE JUST STARTED TO CRY AND
SHAKE AND JUST RELIVED WAR WHEN
SHE WAS A KID.
I NEVER THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING
LIKE THAT COULD HAPPEN IN 2022.
>> IT'S HEARTBREAKING.
IT'S AN ABSOLUTE CATASTROPHE,
WHAT'S GOING ON.
IT'S WORLD WAR II ALL OVER
AGAIN.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
AND IN FACT, MY WIFE'S MOM HAS
MEMORIES OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS
THAT HAPPENED DURING THE WAR AND
AS A CHILD, AND SHE WAS THERE.
AND IT'S JUST BROUGHT TEARS TO
HER EYES.
SHE'S IN TOTAL DISBELIEF.
SHE'S AT HOME RIGHT NOW HERE,
AND SHE'S STICKERING BAGS AND
DOING THINGS.
SHE'S 82 YEARS OLD AND SHE'S
HELPING OUT AS WELL.
SO IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK.
>> ALL OF THE PROFIT MADE FROM
SELLING THE UKRAINE CANDLE ARE
BEING DONATED TO A UKRAINIAN
NON-PROFIT.
>> IT'S CALLED RAZOM FOR
UKRAINE.
SO IT'S HELPING PROVIDE
BANDAGES, TURN CATS TOURNIQUETSD
MEDICAL IS PLIES TO THOSE WHO
NEED IT MOST.
OUR FIRST DONATION WAS ON MONDAY
FOR $125,000.
A LOT OF TEARS WERE FLOWING
AFTER THAT.
THAT'S THE FIRST OF MANY
INSTALLMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO
MAKE.
>> AT THE ONSET OF THE PROJECT,
CHRISTIANA'S GOALS WERE MODEST.
>> I REALLY THOUGHT WE'D ONLY
SELL LIKE 100.
I REALLY DIDN'T THINK WE'D SELL
MORE.
>> I STILL LAUGH WHEN SHE SAID,
YOU KNOW, IF I COULD SELL 300
CANDLES, I'D BE SO HAPPY.
WELL, THAT SHIP HAS SAILED.
>> GOOD JOB!
>> I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF
HER IF SHE WERE MY OWN DAUGHTER.
I'VE MENTORED HER, BUT NOW SHE'S
TAKING THIS TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
I'LL TELL HER SHE'S GOT A TIGER
BY THE TAIL.
SHE KNOWS -- NOW SHE HAS TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING THAT
UNDER CONTROL AND I'M HERE TO
HELP HOWEVER I CAN.
>> WE'RE SO PROUD OF HER.
WE NEVER EXPECTED THIS KIND OF A
RESPONSE.
NEVER.
>> A LOT OF GOOD COMES OUT OF
EVIL, IN MANY WAYS.
>> JUST SAYING, WE'RE STANDING
WITH UKRAINE AND PROVIDING LIGHT
IN THE DARKNESS.
>> SLA VO UKRAINE.
>> GLORY TOITY HEROS.
>> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M
MARISA WOJCIK IN DOOR COUNTY.