Karen Community of Regina - Fundraiser for Internally Displaced Persons and Soccer Playoff

August 7th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at A. E. Wilson Park (7th Ave, by McCarthy Blvd.). Come to watch a Karen community soccer playoff, purchase traditional food and get to know some of the Karen people in the community. (Money from food sales will support community activities). The Karen community of Regina would like to invite the greater community to this fundraising event. 

A donation table will be available to collect donations for Internally Displaced Persons in the Karen state in Myanmar. Karen are indigenous people of Myanmar (Burma), one of many indigenous groups (135 ethnic groups) in the country, defined by the areas they live in.  Victims of the longest-running civil war in the world (70 years), there has been a great number of people displaced, fleeing for safety, and living in refugee camps.  In February 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the government.  They have burned crops, killed many people, and are attacking villages with fighter jets.  As a result of little water and crowded conditions, people are in urgent need of food and medicines, as they are not able to access any health care. The local Karen community would be grateful for any donations to enable them to assist their displaced families, as many are hiding in the forest, afraid to go home.   

Read some articles about the situation: https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2021/02/canada-imposes-sanctions-on-myanmar-military-officials-in-response-to-coup-detat.html; https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/first-person-keemae-paw-myanmar-1.5925293  

Future event:

Karen Martyrs Day will be held at First Karen Baptist Church on August 14th, 2021 at 10:00 am. Because there is not space for many visitors, Regina community members are invited to watch the live ceremony on Facebook.  The Karen Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/FKBCRegina/