SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Williamson County school is helping a Ukrainian orphanage amid the Russian invasion.
At Big Blue Marble Academy, pre-K students formed blue and yellow hearts with play-doh on Thursday morning as they learned about Ukraine.
In December, the academy sent blessing blankets made by students to a Ukrainian orphanage, according to center director Robin Brock.
"And every little thing we can do is just so meaningful, and it really gives you a perspective of how lucky we are, and we try to make sure that we give all of those things to our young children so that they feel like they can make a difference," Brock said.
Now with the Russian invasion, their hearts are torn. At one point, the orphans had to hide in a cellar to stay safe. That's why they're doing a fundraiser for the Children's Charity Center of Ukraine.
"Later on in life when they can look back at their lives as adults, they’re like I can remember that, so those are things that impact them," Brock said.
So far, families have raised around $16,000 for the orphanage.
"There’s a lot of need right now, so everything that we’re doing — all the collections and the support, the funding that we have collected — is really being implemented over there to help, to keep them safe," Brock said.
Some of the students also created Ukrainian flags. They now hang on the wall in the classroom.
"We’re also doing an egg product, and that’s one of the traditions of the Ukraine children,” Brock said. “So they’re doing that also just to bring some tie-in to our fundraiser this week."
The school and its families have sent aid to the orphanage for nearly a decade.
