Actor couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have officially surpassed the US$30-million donation goal for their Stand With Ukraine GoFundMe.
Ukrainian-born Kunis, 38, and her husband Kutcher, 44, shared a heartfelt message to Kutcher’s Instagram account after meeting their goal on Thursday.
The That ’70s Show couple thanked supporters for the more than 65,000 (now over 70,000, and counting) donations.
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“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the support,” said Kunis.
While also recognizing the donations will not solve the Ukrainian crisis, she said, “Our collective effort will provide a softer landing for so many people as they forge ahead into their future of uncertainty.”
“We are going to do everything we can to ensure that the outpouring of love that came from you all as a part of this campaign finds the maximum impact with those in need,” added Kutcher. “As funding continues to come in, we are going to treat every dollar as if it is being donated out of our pocket.”
The couple will uphold their previous promise to match donations up to US$3 million.
On the Stand With Ukraine GoFundMe page, Kunis explained that she was born in Chernivtsi, a city in southwestern Ukraine, in 1983. She and her family immigrated to the U.S. eight years later in 1991.
“Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in their time of need,” she wrote. “This unjust attack on Ukraine and humanity at large is devastating and the Ukrainian people need our support.”
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is grateful for the support from Kunis and Kutcher.
“(Ashton Kutcher) & Mila Kunis were among the first to respond to our grief. They have already raised $35 million & are sending it to @flexport & @Airbnb to help (Ukrainian) refugees,” tweeted Zelenskyy.
“Impressed by their determination,” wrote the Ukrainian president. “They inspire the world.”
The objective of the GoFundMe is to provide aid and housing to Ukrainians devastated by the Russian invasion of the country.
Donations to Kunis and Kutcher’s GoFundMe will be transferred to two organizations: Flexport, a freight transportation company responsible for organizing shipments of relief supplies to refugee sites in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova, and AirBnB, which is providing free, short-term housing to refugees from Ukraine.
The UN says at least one million refugees have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries — including about half a million children. Another million more people in the country are displaced and trying to seek shelter.
As of this writing, the Stand With Ukraine GoFundMe has raised nearly US$35 million. American venture capitalist and philanthropist Ron Conway donated $2.5 million of that total.
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