Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher's Ukraine Relief Fundraiser Hits $30 Million
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher's fundraiser for Ukrainian relief quickly reached its $30 million goal, the couple said on Instagram Thursday. The That '70s Show stars launched the campaign earlier this month, days after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Kunis was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine and her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 7 years old.
"Over 65,000 of you donated. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the support," Kunis said in a video alongside Kutcher on Thursday. "While this is far from a [solution to] the problem, our collective effort will provide a softer landing for so many people as they forge ahead into their future of uncertainty."
Although they reached their goal, Kutcher said they will continue to raise money and are working hard to make sure the funds go directly to those who need it. The fundraiser has reached over $34.4 million as of this writing. "We're gonna do everything we can to ensure that the outpouring of love that came from you all as a part of this campaign finds the maximum impact with those in need," Kutcher said.
Some of the funds have already been sent to Flexport.org and Airbnb.org. Back on March 3, Kutcher said Flexport.org will help get supplies to refugees in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova reports E! News. Airbnb.org is using the funds to offer short-term housing to refugees. The United Nations estimates that over 3.16 million refugees have already fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in late February. Over 1.9 million of those refugees are in Poland.
"As funding continues to come in we will treat every dollar as if it were being donated from our pocket, with respect and honor for the work that went into earning it, the intent of love through which it was given, and the desire for it so be maximized for positive outcomes for others," Kutcher wrote on Instagram. It took the couple less than a week to raise $20 million.
When Kunis and Kutcher launched the fundraiser on March 3, Kunis said she has "never been more proud to be Ukrainian." Kutcher, who married Kunis in 2015, added, "I've never been more proud to be married to a Ukrainian."
Since the invasion began, Kunis has begun embracing her Ukrainian identity. It felt "like a part of my heart just got ripped out," she told Maria Shriver. When she was growing up in Los Angeles, Kunis used to tell people she was from Russia since so few knew where Ukraine was. She's not doing that anymore. "It is a sense of pride, and it's not taking away from loving where I live now and everything that this country has given me," Kunis said.