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On May 17th, USUF was honored to host TAKING BACK Z, a concert featuring Eurovision National Finalist Roxolana, at the Hotel Zena in Washington D.C. This rooftop soirée drew a crowd of Ukrainians, Americans, Ukrainian-Americans, and all those proud to express their support of Ukraine through music. “It’s easier to fight the devil when you’re not alone,” Roxolana stated after thanking USUF for the opportunity to speak to the U.S. on behalf of her country. After giving a heartfelt speech sharing her personal experience, expressing her gratitude for the American support of Ukraine, and reemphasizing the urgency to help children in Ukraine, Roxolana preformed acoustic versions of several of her hit songs.
Among the songs performed was “Girlzzzz,” Roxolana's Eurovision entry and a new-age tribute Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." Following the performance and later news coverage, Lauper herself reached out to Roxolana to express her approval and show her support for Ukraine.
Thanks to proceeds from the event, a new operating table was purchased for Zaporuka, an organization which cares for Ukrainian children facing serious diseases. Due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, hospitals are facing immense new loads, and those with non-war-related injuries and illnesses also face greater challenges to getting quality care. Thus, providing for quality care is critically important.
In an interview leading up to the concert, Roxolana spoke with BBC's Maryam Moshiri about the event, the importance of music in a time of war, and her ongoing efforts to use her gifts to raise morale in Ukraine and awareness abroad. That interview can be viewed here.
Through financial support and with updates and melodies from Ukraine, Roxolana and USUF helped to forge a still greater tie between the people of the United States and the people of Ukraine. The event was also highly symbolic, a deliberate movement to “Take Back Z” from its Russian military perversion—hosted at Hotel Zena in support of Zaporuka.
