By Faith Bemiss, [email protected]

Two churches in Sedalia are teaming up to help Ukrainian refugees with a concert and bake sale on Sunday.

Wesley United Methodist Church and Sedalia Tabernacle, a Ukrainian church, will perform traditional Ukrainian and American music and offer a bake sale filled with traditional treats. Anne Temple, with Wesley, and Venessa Rudishina, with Sedalia Tabernacle, are hosting the event.

Tempel and Rudishina said the event would raise funds for various needs in war-torn Ukraine. Tempel stressed that if anyone wants to make a difference, now is the time.

“We hope to attract as many people there as possible in the community,” she noted. “Everything makes a difference. We will continue to support Ukraine as much as possible.

“Small groups of people make a huge difference,” she continued. “And so, if there’s anyone out there wondering what they can do… Now is the time.” Please come. Everyone come.”

The concert lasts approximately one hour and will feature bands from both churches.

“We are going to have traditional Ukrainian music that we will play at our family gatherings,” Rudishina noted. “We have a saxophonist coming, her name is Natasha Lobas.”

Lobas, Sedalia saxophone teacher, will play a traditional Ukrainian song translated into English as “Teacher”. Alisa Sonnik will play the cello and Rudishina will sing a solo, “My Ukraine”.

Tempel added that Wesley will ask the Wesley Bell Choir to perform “Carol of the Bells.”

“It’s actually a traditional Ukrainian (room),” she explained. “So we picked that up and trained. We have other people at Wesley who have agreed to play music for the occasion.

The concert will include organ music and vocals, and church member Barbara Schrader will perform a violin solo. Rudishina added that she and her cousins ​​would also perform the Ukrainian anthem with Schrader.

“Then towards the end we will have a video,” Rudishina said. “And our youth leader Ivan Golub, he is going to give a speech and share on the video. (And speak) photos that we received from our relatives in Ukraine.

She noted that the bake sale would include many types of Ukrainian pastries, cakes and sweets. People can use cash, check or cash app during bake sale. Sweets include two Ukrainian cakes, pavlovas (cream and berry meringue), eclairs, zefir (small meringue desserts), waffle cakes and Ukrainian peach pastry made by Rudishina’s mother, Inna Rudishina . Tempel’s mother also makes traditional sugar cookies with Ukrainian designs.

Tempel added that there were many other needs besides money, noting that she received a donation of medical supplies from Bothwell Regional Health Center this week.

She said the items needed are first aid supplies, toiletries, hygiene products, tools, flashlights, batteries, thermal blankets, sleeping bags, clothes, shoes , masks, diapers, formula, gloves and paper products.

“People can bring them to the concert,” she noted. “Or they can feel free to donate money to buy the supplies.”

The Ukrainian benefit concert and bake sale will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1322 W. Broadway Blvd. Donations can also be made to Sedalia Tabernacle Church, 23299 Highway B.