‘A symbol of resistance’: Parade of Hearts unveils new heart statue in support of Ukraine
Adorned with blue paint and a bright yellow fist at its center, a new heart dedicated to Ukraine is joining Kansas City’s Parade of Hearts art installation.
The statue was unveiled Thursday in front of the National WWI Museum and Memorial where it will remain until it is sold at auction on June 17, along with the rest of the city’s Parade of Hearts.
When the Parade of Hearts Committee first discussed adding another heart to the 155 piece art show, they knew it needed to express support for Ukraine, said Tucker Trotter, a co-founder of the group.
Painting a flag on the heart was not enough, he said.
The committee worked with community partners to get artwork from Ukrainian children forced to flee to Romania, according to Trotter.
The drawings were plastered to the base of the statue under the large fist molded into a heart.
“It makes me think of the resilience of Ukrainian people,” said Lyuda Stewart, who was representing the nonprofit Stand With Ukraine and the Ukrainian Club of Kansas City.
“What’s happening there is not just war, it’s genocide,” she told those gathered.
Stewart explained that Odessa, the city in southern Ukraine that she grew up in, had been bombed just the other day. She’s hoping to raise funds to provide humanitarian assistance.
“Kansas City is in the heartland and we know the heart of Kansas City beats in unison with the heart of Ukraine,” she said.
“As Ukrainians, we will be fighting up until the end. This is a symbol of resistance.”
Karis Erwin, a spokeswoman for the National WWI Memorial and Museum, said the heart is a welcome addition to the site.
In both the cases of Ukraine and World War I, the decisions of a powerful few have had far-reaching implications for millions, she said.
“What’s happening over there is happening to people just like us, who have children just like us,” she said.
The money raised from the heart will go toward the World Central Kitchen nonprofit group, which is raising funds to send food and other forms of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, said Jenn Nussbeck, co-director of the Parade of Hearts Committee.
