People Gather In Downtown Tulsa For Rally To Support Ukraine

Community members gathered at Boston United Methodist Church for a time of prayer for Ukraine Sunday night. Many of those who attended say they have felt helpless for days, but this vigil gave them hope.

Normally, the corner of 13th and Boston is quiet on a Sunday evening, but tonight, people with blue and yellow signs and flags showed up with a message of support for Ukraine.

Even though Tulsa is 5,640 miles from Ukraine, dozens of Oklahomans showed up to the vigil with signs, flags, shirts, and most of all, a message.

“We just want to wrap our Ukrainian friends with that love that Oklahomans are so good at showing", Event Organizer Crystal LaGrone said.

Benjamin Peters came to the vigil with his family. He is one of many people here in Tulsa who have lived in Ukraine and still have friends and family in the country.

He was emotional speaking about how difficult it is to see the Russians invading Ukraine. He began to tear up at the end of his sentence spoken in Ukrainian saying “Ukraine is not dead.”

Nicole Miller has immediate relatives in various parts of Ukraine, she said she has been in constant contact with her loved ones.

“My mothers' hometown ended up getting surrendered to the Russians today,” Miller said.

Others like Walter Keesh have family members on the front lines. He told us he is from Canada, but his parents are immigrants from Ukraine and he has many family members still in the country.

“In fact, one of my cousins is in the Ukrainian Army, he is fighting in Kyiv, the Russians are trying to take Kyiv, and he is fighting for the city. So yeah it’s personal.”

LaGrone said the first thing she does when she wakes up is check her phone to see if there are news updates or messages from her friends.

“I don’t want to go to a funeral or memorial for my friends in their thirties because they were caught up in this conflict,” LaGrone said.

Tonight this group holding candles and rallying together with tears in their eyes were not Americans, Ukranians, or Russians, they were a united community with a prayer that the world can one day become one.

The group said they are just getting started. There will also be a show of support next Saturday, March 5 at John Hope Reconciliation Park from 2-4 p.m.