From March 4 – 14, the lobby and hallways at the Megaplex theaters at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi were filled with boxes of diapers, coats, mittens, shoes and feminine hygiene supplies – donations from Utahns for refugees fleeing Ukraine. Lehi was one of six locations to drop off donations in Utah.
“In times of crisis, Utahns respond. They take action to serve, lift and love, and that’s why I’m proud to be a member of this community. We have about 1,500 Ukrainian neighbors who live here in Utah. We are all heartbroken by the desperate situation their loved ones face in Ukraine. This is an opportunity for us to come together, put our arms around our neighbors, and show them that our hearts are united,” said Gail Miller.
The Larry H. Miller Company and the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation announced a Driven to Assist cash and donation drive to benefit refugees fleeing Ukraine on March 4. Miller said that monetary donations made to the Community Foundation of Utah (CFU) will be matched up to $2 million with contributions from several prominent Utah family foundations as well as anonymous donors. Intermountain Healthcare is preparing to airlift donated goods to bordering countries to aid refugees from Ukraine in the coming months. Monetary donations will be given to trusted organizations on the ground.
Utah’s First Lady Abby Cox’s initiative, Show Up, is organizing the donated items and preparing them for shipment. Abby Cox asked Utah’s school children to write letters and cards or draw artwork offering friendship and encouragement to Ukrainian refugee children.
“I have seen how this kind of gift can lift the recipient and develop empathy in the sender. Let’s share our caring Utah spirit with those who need it most,” Cox wrote in a letter published on the Show Up Utah website. Cards and letters must be receivedby Thursday, March 17 by 4 p.m. at the Governor’s Mansion, 603 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City UT 84102.
