Pysanki egg sale at Rizzo's Malabar Inn to benefit Ukrainian causes this year

There will be a lot of Ukrainian symbols tucked into Ginette Simpson’s pysanky eggs this year.

The intricate decorations will feature blue and gold colors and Ukraine’s national flower.

“I’ve really focused on sunflowers,” she said. “They’re featured in a lot of my designs.”

The New Alexandria woman will have about 60 of the eggs for sale this week at Rizzo’s Malabar Inn in Crabtree as a multi-faceted fundraiser to help Ukrainians locally and afar. Simpson said she will donate 20% of the proceeds to Smile of the Child Orphanage in Berezhany, a city in western Ukraine.

Russia invaded the country last month and has been pummeling it with artillery, forcing millions to flee while those in cities under attack are finding themselves without food, water or heat. The eggs typically sell for $20 to $100 each.

The remainder will be donated to Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church just outside New Alexandria, which is in dire need of a new roof. The price of replacing the roof has risen dramatically thanks to covid and supply chain issues. Simpson has been making and selling pysanky since 2005, except for a few years here or there, and peddling them at the restaurant to raise money for the church.

“This is our only fundraiser, so we rely on the egg proceeds to pay for insurance, and it helps for any essentials for the church,” she said.

Simpson will be at Rizzo’s from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Her visit coincides with the restaurant’s celebration of the Feast of St. Joseph. Owner Rizzi DeFabo said customers, many of whom come back annually to see her designs, look forward to Simpson’s visit.

Pysanky is an art she learned from her late mother, Stella Nalevanko. Each egg has a heart hidden somewhere in the design to honor her.

Simpson sticks with traditional colors and symbols — such as flowers, butterflies and wheat — but said it is a challenge to come up with new designs to appeal to those who buy an egg every year. She will be doing demonstrations at Rizzo’s.

“I’ve been working as fast as I could,” she said.

But it is a painstaking process. Each egg can take as many as 10 hours to complete.

Simpson also will accept donations for the orphanage while at Rizzo’s, she said. She’s been in touch with family members who live in Ukraine and said they’re safe, for now.