Women's March in San Luis Obispo is hosting its annual rally, called the Engage for Equity rally, on Saturday, March 5th. Part of what they raise will go to support Ukrainian refugees.
"I was born and raised in Slovakia. It is a country that borders Ukraine and has now feels like a very similar pattern of history," said Andrea Chmelik, the co-founder and co-exeuctive Director of Women's March SLO.
The rally is usually the biggest fundraiser of the year for Women's March SLO. It was supposed to happen back in January, but the organization postponed it due to the spike in Omicron variant COVID-19 cases.
“We are so excited to be back in person. We are so excited to be back in Mitchell Park, and to be able to bring the community back together," explained Chmelik.
Last year, the rally was virtual. This time around, organizers are hoping for around 1,000 people to come out. The donations will go to a nonprofit called People in Need, which is helping Ukrainians cross into Slovakia.
“It feels very personal for me watching these events unfolding now in Ukraine. And so it's a part of the reason why we decided to do this,” Chmelik told KSBY.
Rally organizers say the event will happen rain or shine. It starts at 1 p.m. at Mitchell Park and goes until 4 p.m.
People can RSVPon their website, as well as donate.
Women's March SLO notified law enforcement of the event, but since it is a rally and not a march, they do not expect a large security presence.
