Ukrainian Refugee Relief: A Benefit Photo Safari at the Dupont Circle area

Right now, the world is focused on the plight of hundreds of thousands refugees from Ukraine, who are escaping from the devastation of their country into neighboring countries.

Fortunately, a number of private organizations are stepping up to assist. Washington Photo Safari would like to join in this effort by offering a special benefit photo safari to raise money for the resettlement and feeding of these refugees.

As we have done in past years with other benefit photo safaris that have raised over $36,000 for victims of floods, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, natural disasters and refugees around the world, we propose to give participants a free 2.5 hour photo safari in architectural photography, in return for a donation of at least $100, ALL of which will be given to a very effective international charity organization that is providing services to Ukrainian  refugees at each country’s  entry point from Ukraine : World Central Kitchen

So we propose to begin our benefit photo safari at the base of a statue erected in 1960  honoring Ukraine’s famous 19^th century poet, Taras Shevchenko, not far from Dupont Circle. The statue is dedicated “to the liberation, freedom and independence of all captive nations, honoring Shevchenko as “the poet and fighter for the independence of Ukraine and the freedom of all mankind from Russian imperialist tyranny and colonial rule.”

“Our soul shall never perish,” he wrote in 1845, “Freedom knows no dying…” Sound familiar?

Here is a link to the work that World Central Kitchen is doing on Ukraine’s borders  providing thousands of meals every day to  Ukrainian  refugees:

https://wck.org/news/chefs-for-ukraine

Our photo safari will take place on the afternoon of Sunday March 20, 2022, from 2;30 p.m. to 5:00 pm, beginning at 2200 P St NW, the site of the statue of  Taras Shevchenko It will be led by Washington photo Safari director and professional architectural photographer E. David Luria, who will give instruction on how to do architectural photography along the beautiful mansions and homes of the Dupont Circle area., a very useful skill to have when traveling!  And we end up in a coffee shop, Pain Quotidien, to discuss our photos!

After photographing the Shevchenko statue, our first stop on the tour is the famous Beaux Arts building of the Cosmos Club, whose members have included Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, U.S. Presidents, and Medal of Freedom winners. We then move on to photograph the magnificent Indonesian Embassy, which was formerly the home of Evelyn McLean, the last owner of the Hope Diamond which is now in the Smithsonian.

Along our route we will also get to photograph the Embassy of India and its adjoining statue of Mahatma Ghandi, the magnificent Anderson House (home of the Society of the Cincinnati), the Embassy of Morocco, the Phillips Gallery, the Embassy of Colombia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the old Heurich House, many nearby street scenes, and of course, the Dupont Circle Fountain itself.

Here is a sampling of the images you will get on this safari

https://www.flickr.com/photos/123745666@N04/albums/72157718514284633

Here is the process to register for the safari or to just make a donation:

1. Register for the Safari as you normally would, but there is no payment required during the registration process.
2. Indicate in your registration if you are planning on attending the photo safari or just making a donation by choosing Photographer to attend the safari or Donor to just make a donation.
3. Indicate in your registration info the amount you are contributing. $100 is the minimum, more than that is even better!
4. Make your donation – there are 4 options for payment:
   – By personal check made out to World Central Kitchen, with a note on the memo line specifying it is for Ukrainian Refugee relief.
   Mail to Washington Photo Safari at 4545 Connecticut Ave NW # 418, Washington DC 20008. (allow 4-5 days for delivery)
   – By Zelle to [email protected] with a note in memo line that is donation for World Central Kitchen for Ukrainian refugee relief
   – By Venmo to EDavid-Luria with a note in memo line that is donation for World Central Kitchen for Ukrainian refugee relief
   – By PayPal to [email protected] with a note in memo line that is donation for World Central Kitchen for Ukrainian refugee relief

Every individual contribution will be acknowledged. All checks and payments will be forwarded to World Central Kitchen within one week after the safari takes place.

One safarian thanked WPS for holding this benefit safari:

“Been trying to figure out how to help for 2 weeks in Ukraine and was afraid of sending money out that might never get to anyone who really needed it, and you gave me the perfect way. Thank you. ” Dan H., Falls Church VA

If you are donating but cannot attend the safari, we will send you – with our compliments – a two-page set of very useful tips on interior and exterior architectural photography. This is the handout given to all attendees of architectural workshops like this one. Watch your inbox!

Washington Photo Safari is not charging any fee for this safari, and the instructors have volunteered their time. We thank you in advance for your support!