NORTH READING — Wearing blue and yellow, town Democrats came together at Hopothecary Ales recently to toast its brave defenders and support their struggle against Russian invasion and occupation.
Hosted by the North Reading Democratic Town Committee, the event attracted over 60 people and raised $2,500 for the Come Back Alive
Foundation, a charity that helps equip the Ukrainian military. Attendees all received a small tryzub (Ukraine’s trident-shaped national emblem) donated by a local 3D printing hobbyist.
“It is sad to see that President Trump and the GOP have sided with Putin and betrayed Ukraine. We wanted to come together and show our neighbors that we Democrats will always stand up to dictators and fight for freedom and democracy. These have always been core American values,” said Matt Page, one of the event’s organizers.
Local Ukrainian-Americans Alexandra and Bill Liteplo were grateful for the support. “Ukraine has remained steadfast since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. It is heartening to see that so many Americans still care about protecting her democracy and freedom,” Alexandra Liteplo said. “It is grassroots fundraising such as this which has helped Ukraine remain strong over the last few years. We’re grateful to the North Reading Democrats for organizing this event.”
To learn more about the North Reading Town Democrats, look for them on Facebook or email: northreadingdemocrats@gmail.com.