Wyatt and Arya Cresswell at their ribbon-making station. (Photo Courtesy Chris Brown)

By Chris Brown

Selling for donations to Red Cross

Local family making yellow and blue ribbons to support Ukrainians

Mar 18, 2022 | 1:54 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Two Medicine Hat youth and their grandmother have put their hands to work to help people on the other side of the world

Nine-year-old Arya Cresswell, her brother Wyatt, seven, and their grandmother Cathy are making yellow and blue ribbons and selling them for donations to the Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian Aid program for Ukraine.

“We saw what was happening to the Ukraine and we felt so bad for the mothers and the children that have to leave the Ukraine,” says Cathy.

The nation was invaded by Russian forces on Feb. 24.

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“They’re a really small place and Russia’s so big and it’s not fair,” adds Arya.

They’ve made more than 200 ribbons this week. Arya cuts the ribbons, Wyatt unclips the pins and Cathy pins the pieces together.

They will be at Superstore on Saturday selling the ribbons for donations from 10-11 a.m. and 1-2 p.m. The ribbons can also be purchased for donation at Seven Rivers Trading Co., owned by the kids’ mother Sarah and located in the Arcade Plaza downtown.

Cathy is part Ukrainian and was struck by the pain and suffering there amid the Russian attacks.

“I think this is a piece of history and its a piece of their genealogical history as well you know being part Ukrainian,” she says. “But the unfairness of what’s happening in the world right now to the Ukraine by Russia is really bad. So if everybody does a little bit we can help the people of the Ukraine.”