The Ukrainian Federation of Karate (UFK) has announced the launch of a fundraising campaign to provide scholarships for young Ukrainian athletes whose father, mother, or both are serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, UNN reports.
The purpose of the campaign is to help young athletes continue engaging in sports despite the difficult situation in their families due to the war.
This campaign is the initiative of American singer Kelsie Kimberlin, who has Ukrainian roots and has been actively helping in Ukraine since the russian invasion launched in February 2022. The Kelsie Kimberlin Foundation is organizing the current campaign. The campaign's ambassador is Maria Hnes, 16, a Ukrainian Karateka from the Lider Club in Chernivtsi. Hnes is well known for her principled position: she has refused to share the podium with competitors from the country that invaded Ukraine.
At the end of August, a video clip was recorded in Kyiv to the song "Champion," which Kelsie Kimberlin dedicated to Maria Hnes. The clip will be released shortly. The Kimberlin team is also preparing a documentary about young Ukrainian athletes, their valiant efforts to be best in their sports—and in their personal lives during this war.