Robert Scocozzo, CEO of Scent-Sations, Inc., said the company that makes Mia Bella Candles has come up with a new candle that will benefit the people of Ukraine. The new bright yellow candle is called “Hope for Ukraine” and its scent is sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine.
Bill O’Boyle | Times Leader
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The new bright yellow Mia Bella candle is called “Hope for Ukraine” and its scent is sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine.
WILKES-BARRE — Bringing hope to Ukranians with “A Beacon Of Light.”
Robert Scocozzo, CEO of Scent-Sations Inc., said Monday the company that makes Mia Bella Candles has come up with a new candle that will benefit the people of Ukraine.
The new bright yellow candle is called “Hope for Ukraine” and its scent is sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine that has become the war-torn country’s symbol of resistance.
Scocozzo said the candle sells for $21.95 and $5 will go to St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church in Georgetown as part of the church’s fundraising for Ukraine.
“We do a lot of fundraising for community groups, ” Scocozzo said. “We try to do one every month. This candle is special, and we hope to raise a lot of money for Ukraine.”
Scocozzo said 750 candles have already been sold and the company is pouring another 1,000 today.
“This new limited-edition candle was created to support the refugees of the war in Ukraine and symbolizes hope, peace and solidarity,” Scocozzo said.
On sale now, proceeds from the sales of the new candle are being donated to help support western Ukraine refugees linked to St. John’s Byzantine Church. Resident priest Father Mykhaylo Prodanents hails from western Ukraine. At this moment, his mother, sister, brother and nephew — all of whom reside in a Ukrainian village — are currently sheltering and feeding more than 60 people, and donations from the sale of this candle will go directly to them.
Wilkes-Barre City Councilman Tony Brooks has been working with the church to raise funds for Ukraine. Brooks thanked Scocozzo and his wife, Cathy, and the Mia Bella family for creating the new candle.
“Bobby and Cathy Scocozzo epitomize what it means to be from the Valley With a Heart,” Brooks said. “We thank them for their generosity, the church thanks them, and the refugees in Western Ukraine thank them.
“We can’t watch a single night of television without our heart-strings being tugged on, and that leads us to feel like we must do something.”
Having been baptized in St. John the Baptist — his family’s ancestral place of worship — Brooks has a personal connection and encourages those who are able to donate, to do so.
Long known for its commitment to various charities, Scocozzo said Scent-Sations has donated tens of thousands of dollars over the past decade to Make-A-Wish Foundation, Children’s Miracle Network, Susan G. Komen For The Cure and dozens of military charities and their families.
“Our distributors know we have helped make a difference by donating to many charities in the past,” Scocozzo said. “Recently I started getting emails and phone calls asking me if we had any plans for creating a special candle to benefit the victims of the war in Ukraine. I told them we would take massive action quickly, and that I was confident that our distributor, as well as our customers would step up to help make a difference.”
This Limited Edition “Hope for Ukraine” 16 oz. jar candle features yellow wax, and the National Flower of Ukraine, Sunflowers, as the floral fragrance. The label is blue and yellow and features pictures of sunflowers.
Candles may be purchased online at — www.miabella.net — or from any one of thousands of independent distributor web sites for $21.95 plus a flat $7.95 (US) shipping charge regardless of quantity ordered. Proceeds from the sale of each candle will be donated toward the relief efforts to help those affected.
For additional information, please direct all inquiries to Bob Scocozzo, CEO of Scent-Sations, Inc., by email to — [email protected] — or by calling 570-270-9010.
Times Leader helping
Ukraine Special Offer — $99/year.
Times Leader will donate $20 from your purchase to help Ukraine Refugees through St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church of Wilkes-Barre.
*Monetary donations will be sent directly to a Byzantine Catholic priest in Slovakia, Father Ján Lemeš, Archpriest (Protojerej) of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Košice, who will then distribute it to refugees in dire need in Ukraine.
Contact
90 E. Market St. Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Phone: 570-829-5000
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle