Saskatoon nurse launches dance-based fundraiser to support children in Ukraine

A Saskatoon nurse is back from Ukraine and is using dance to support children affected by the conflict. Carla Shynkaruk has the details.

A Saskatoon nurse who has made multiple trips to Ukraine since the start of the war is back home and turning to dance to help children affected by ongoing attacks on the country’s infrastructure.

Tanya Baran, a registered nurse and medical lead with Ukrainian Patriot, has travelled to Ukraine seven times since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. Her most recent trip lasted three months, and she returned to Canada in January.

“This time around, it was definitely much more difficult with Russia hitting our infrastructure. We were limited to power and heat and water,” Baran told CTV News.

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Baran said while Ukraine may not dominate headlines the way it once did, the need for support remains urgent, especially for children. Ongoing power outages caused by bombing have forced many schools to shut down, leaving kids without consistent education or safe places to gather.

“They feel it in Ukraine,” she said. “They feel that there is no longer that support.”

Now back in Saskatoon, Baran is working with local Ukrainian dance groups to raise money for resilience sessions aimed specifically at children who are unable to attend school. The sessions provide a safe space for kids to connect, socialize, and regain a sense of normalcy.

“It’s an opportunity for many of them to get together and be with one another, even just for an hour or an hour and a half. You see them come out of their shell,” she said.

Baran has been teaching Ukrainian dance in Saskatoon for nearly 20 years, and many of her dancers say her commitment to helping in Ukraine has inspired them to get involved.

“Thinking about her when she’s over there. If there’s anything we can do from here to help, we’ll jump right at it,” Garrett Sander, a member of the dance group said.

Another dancer, Raya Zuzak, joined the group when the war began as a way to show solidarity.

“I’ve never been part of this group when she wasn’t going to the front lines,” Zuzak said.

“It’s inspiring. It’s scary.”

The group plans to kick off fundraising efforts with a steak night later this month, with hopes of inspiring other Ukrainian organizations across Canada to join in. While there is no specific fundraising goal, Baran says every contribution will go toward helping Ukrainians endure another difficult winter.

Baran plans to return to Ukraine in the fall, continuing her work delivering medical supplies and aid to defenders on the front lines.

Those wishing to support the steak night on Feb. 23 can email [e-mail]

Information on the work Ukrainian Patriot is doing can be found at Ukrainian Patriot.