Nadya Roumeliotis 11, is not taking the annual Ukrainian Egg painting tradition — pysanky — for granted.

"Most kids won’t get to do this this year and might not ever get to do this again,” Roumeliotis said.

What You Need To Know

  • The Ukrainian American Youth Association held its annual — pysanky — egg-painting event as Easter approaches. This year all proceeds raised will go towards humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

  • Organizers started a GoFundMe to raise money for medical supplies.

  • The art of creating pysanky takes time and patience. First you need eggs, a special stylus which uses heated wax to draw designs onto the egg and then layers and layers of dye to add color.

The annual egg-painting event is put on by the Ukrainian American Youth Association as Easter approaches. This year all proceeds raised will go towards humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

“We started a GoFundMe for medical supplies for Ukraine and we will be purchasing the supplies with the funds that we raise,” said Halyna Sabadakh, Program Youth Director at the Ukrainian American Youth Association.

“It’s important for us to preserve the artistic history that we’ve been trying to save for generations and people have been trying to erase it in past history,” Sabadakh said.

The art of creating pysanky takes time and patience. First you need eggs, a special stylus which uses heated wax to draw designs onto the egg and then layers and layers of dye to add color.

“You take an egg and you transform it into something else, you create meaning,” said Victor Kurylyk, a staffer with the association.

This year, Nadya invited her cousin Anastasia Kalloo, it’s her first time.

“When we heard about this thing we thought it would be organized and really fun to do,” said Kalloo. “Its actually really fun and also to help support Ukraine."

From toddlers doing their own versions to adults, everyone attending gets to create designs that matter most to them.

“It’s a very difficult time for us but at the same time we do not feel isolated,” said Kurylyk.