Vegreville Vipers Host Fundraiser for Team Captain’s Family from Ukraine

Vegreville Vipers Host Fundraiser for Team Captain’s Family from Ukraine

Mykyta with one of his young fans.

(Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

Rosanne Fortier - New Correspondent

Vegreville Vipers (VV) hosted a fundraising barbecue and auctioned off a Viper’s signed Jersey at Vegreville and District Co-op on March 26.

This fundraiser raised $4,000 for Vegreville Viper’s Team Captain No. 27 Mykyta Protsenko’s family as they get ready to make their way to Canada from Kyiv, Ukraine.

Vipers General Manager and Co-Head Coach Bryan Brown said they decided to host this fundraiser because Protsenko’s family left with basically nothing. “So they need everything from clothing to personal hygiene stuff to housing to a way to pay for it. They are flat broke with nothing; very poor over there.

Vegreville Vipers and volunteers helping out at the fundraiser.

(Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

There are a few other family members coming as well as his mom and sister. They got out of Ukraine and are in Poland right now.

His mom plans on living here with other members of his family, and his sister plans to live in the Sherwood Park area at a family’s place that Mykyta knows, and a friend that plays on our team. They will stay at Gourley’s house also because they have a 16-year-old daughter that they can become friends with as they are the same age.

Mykyta has lots of family in Ukraine still, grandparents, and his dad and some cousins.

The situation isn’t good at all. The capital is being bombed in areas, everyone is hiding. They are lucky to be alive.

We as a team just want to help as it’s in us to do so,” Bryan said.