April 8 (UPI) — A number of celebrities and prominent figures are participating in an event Friday to lend their star power to a social media campaign that seeks to raise money for Ukrainian refugees on Friday.
The event is called “Stand Up For Ukraine” and it’s organized by the nonprofit Global Citizen.
Some of the people who have signed up to participate are Elton John, Billie Eilish, Bruce Springsteen, comedian Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Shaquille O’Neal, music group The Weeknd and dozens more.
“The Boss” Bruce Springsteen is one of many celebrities who will take part in Friday’s social media event designed to raise money for Ukrainian refugees. File Photo by Ed Jones/UPI
The event is a virtual rally designed to “mobilize billions of dollars to address the crisis in Ukraine as well as support the people who are on the move in every part of the world,” organizers said in a statement.
Global Citizen said that United Nations figures show there is a $10 billion gap in funding to assist the 12 million people in Ukraine who are in need of assistance. At least 6.5 million have been displaced internally and more than 4 million have fled the country.
In a video last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky supported the effort and called on “musicians, actors, athletes, businessmen, politicians, everybody” to join the movement. Before he entered politics, Zelensky was also an actor.
For Friday’s virtual rally, Global Citizen is encouraging people to record videos of themselves reading a script that calls on world leaders to take action on the global refugee crisis and share them via social media with the hashtag #StandUpforUkraine.
The rally is a prelude to a pledging event hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday.
“So much is needed still — and the brave people of Ukraine deserve solidarity from citizens and governments around the globe,” von der Leyen said in a statement. “Together, we can give them a safe home and bring some light in their lives at this dark hour.”
