Over 21 000 € Donated in Comedy Charity Show to Support Ukrainian Soldiers

A total of 21 467  € was raised in support of Ukraine through the comedy and music charity show “Smieklu lādiņš” (“Charge of Laughter”) and its accompanying charity auction, featuring leading Latvian comedians and musicians. The fundraising was organized with the help of the NGO Tavi draugi (“Your Friends”), and the collected funds will be directed to the Ukrainian International Battalion for the purchase of night vision cameras, drones, and drone components.

The show “Smieklu lādiņš” took place on April 1 at the “Tower” concert hall and will be broadcast on Go3 television in June. The performance featured artists including Aleksandrs Guzenko, Baiba Sipeniece-Gavare, Četri Brāļi (Jānis Kozlovskis, Juris Kozlovskis, Oskars Kozlovskis, Kozmens), Čipsis un Dullais, Divas (Anete Bendika, Elīna Geida), Edvards Strazdiņš, Ernests Cimanskis, magician Edžus, Jānis Kreičmanis, Kalvis Troska, Lydia, Mārtiņš Dinsbergs, Roberts Silavs, Kristaps Bičkausks, Pusbrāļi, Rūdolfs Kugrēns, Spiediens (Sanda Dejus, Artūrs Breidaks, Līga Kausa), Trio Kvartets (Jevgēnijs Grahoļskis, Mārcis Viļums, Gatis Kurzemnieks), M-ART DANCE GROUP, 2×2 (Valdis Sils, Dzintars Rožkalns, Kaspars Breidaks), Dziļi Violets (Nauris Brikmanis, Valters Osis), DJ Kress, and others.

“We believe that in these uncertain times, it’s important to show that here in Latvia, we are firm in our stance regarding the war in Ukraine. We stand against tyranny and terrorism. We support Ukraine’s freedom and victory,” said Jānis Kozlovskis, one of the show’s organizers.

The €21,467 donation was made up of ticket sales revenue, a donation from Go3, and €2,580 raised through the charity auction. Auction items included meaningful belongings from the comedians—Baiba Sipeniece-Gavare’s ring, Kozmens’s knife, a condom gifted by Anatolijs Kreipāns from the Beijing Olympics, as well as gifts from show supporters “Port Hotel” and the wine bar “Garāža.” The auction also featured artwork brought from Kharkiv, Ukraine—created with the help of soldiers using real mortar shell packaging. The pieces were decorated with the Ukrainian flag and coat of arms, along with symbols of the Baltic states.

The donation from Smieklu lādiņš will go to the charity Tavi draugi, which will use the funds to purchase night vision cameras, drones, and drone parts for the Ukrainian International Battalion and deliver them to the soldiers. Since 2023, Tavi draugi has been regularly supporting the unmanned aerial unit of the International Legion, which works tirelessly on the front line. The Legion includes soldiers from across the Baltics. Support is provided based on current needs and direct requests from the field.

Beāte Bēvalde, Marketing Manager at Tavi draugi, said: “We are sincerely grateful to the comedians and attendees for their generous donation to Ukrainian soldiers. Every euro donated helps provide the urgently needed equipment for the soldiers of the International Battalion. This Legion includes fighters from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. For them, this kind of ‘greeting from home’ is not only useful on the battlefield, but also a powerful source of emotional support.”

A photo gallery from Smieklu lādiņš is available here, credited to Lauris Vīksne.

The organizers extend their thanks to all artists and comedians who performed for free, to the Tower concert hall for providing the venue at no charge, ProSound for supplying technical equipment for free, and Port Hotel for feeding the comedians and providing a gift card for the auction.

About Tavi draugi

Tavi draugi is a charity organization that provides coordinated humanitarian aid to Ukrainian civilians in Latvia and Ukraine by organizing and coordinating voluntary support from Latvian residents, organizations, and businesses. Prior to the full-scale war, the organization supported families in need within Latvia. Since the beginning of the war, its focus has shifted to providing aid to Ukraine, including support for Ukrainian war refugees at Latvian-Russian border checkpoints. The organization also continues to help struggling individuals in Latvia and responds to crisis situations upon request. More information about its projects and donation opportunities is available here.