Sellersburg boy sells cookies for Ukraine

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – So far, 6.5 million people have been displaced in Ukraine by the Russian invasion.

Humanitarian efforts are raising money to provide some comfort to refugees, and a boy in Sellersburg is pitching in as well.

Beckett Stofer has a Ukrainian aunt, so to speak. His mother hosted her as a study abroad student back in high school.

They’ve kept in touch through the decades, considering each other family, and now Beckett is trying to help them during this crisis.

In a neighborhood marked by US states, a version of an international state has taken shape. A cookie stand.

“To help support Ukraine,” Beckett said.

He came up with the idea over the weekend.

“Beckett was really having a hard time on Saturday just kind of about the whole world,” his mom Megan said.

She told him to look for the helpers, or be one. He decided they should have a bake sale.

He drew up this sketch, built a stand, and 32 dozen cookies later…

“We started putting them in bags, came out here, and started doing this,” Beckett said.

All to raise money for the Ukrainian sister his mother gained back in high school.

“We did high school together, we did post graduate college together, we’ve met each other’s husbands and now we’ve met each other’s oldest kids,” Megan said.

Julia Stepanova lives in Germany now, but her sister fled Ukraine with just what her family could carry. Her parents are still there. So are many friends.

“I thought I would get like $20, really, I mean you’re selling cookies for $2,” Beckett said.

He did better than that, raising almost $1,900.

“A lot of people did come, most of them were dropping like $30, $60 for cookies,” Beckett said.

Megan said lots of customers liked knowing exactly where their money was going.

“We’re sending it from my Paypal directly to my host sister’s Paypal,” Megan said.

Beckett’s happy with the result.

“I thought it would be just like a little thing, I thought maybe one or two people would come., but it’s good to see that so many people care,” Beckett said.

The Stofers are going to take their remaining cookies to a rally for Ukraine on Sunday at Louisville’s Waterfront Park.

Organizers will be raising money there as well to support humanitarian efforts for Ukraine.

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