UWO graduate Christiana Gorchynsky Trapani with Door County Candle Company’s first donation check to Razom for Ukraine. (Door County Candle Co. Facebook page)

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh graduate Christiana Gorchynsky Trapani ’16, a Ukrainian-American and co-owner of Door County Candle Co., launched a Ukraine specialty candle sale in late February with proceeds from the sale going to Razom for Ukraine, an organization that directly helps the war-torn country.

Since launching the sale on Feb. 26, Door County Candle Co. has sold more than 1,300 candles. The effort has sparked attention from statewide and national media and on social media in recent weeks, including appearing on the Today show. On March 11, Trapani donate the first installment of $125,00 to Razom for Ukraine.

The specialty candle is designed in the colors of Ukraine; yellow on the bottom and blue on the top. The fragrance is vanilla.

On the Door County Candle Co. website, Trapani share her reasons for starting the initiative.

“I am 100% Ukrainian, and am so incredibly proud of my heritage,” she noted. “Growing up as a Ukrainian American, I was raised with Ukrainian being my first language, which has allowed me to keep connected to friend and family who live there today. As a Ukrainian-American, what’s happening in Ukraine is hitting me, and many others, deeply to my core. We strongly condemn Russia’s shameful and unprovoked war. We are heartbroken, concerned and scared for all of those in Ukraine. This special Ukraine candle is a way I feel we can make a difference and help those in need.”