Serbian Non-Profit 28.Jun Hopes Sales of Song Will Generate Shipping Costs for Much Needed Aid for Balkan Flood Victims

$50,000 Needed to Ship 1.5 Million Dollars of Donated Relief Items by Plane To The Balkans

Toronto, CA – Can a song save the world? Perhaps.

Following the heaviest rains to hit the Balkans in over a century, causing massive flooding and displacing over 930,000 people across the region, the need for aid is great. Primary health care facilities in most of the affected areas have sustained damage and with the loss of both crops and functional water supply systems, food and clean water continue to be a top priority for those in need. American and Canadian Serbs have sprung into action to answer this need and over 100 tons of humanitarian aid, valued at over $1.5 million, is now ready for partners at the Serbian Red Cross to distribute to the thousands of flood victims. Humanitarian non-profit organization, 28.Jun, has gathered product donations from brands including Gatorade, Target, Walmart and Huggies and Canadian brands including Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall and Loblaw’s. 28.Jun and the Red Cross of Serbia are working closely to provide humanitarian aid to the flood victims of Serbia and Bosnia. What are needed now are funds to cover the shipping costs.

“We’ve received a lot of support from communities all over Canada, the United States and the world,” said Filip Filipi, president of 28.Jun. “Right now, we need financial assistance to get our cargo plane off the ground as soon as possible. We have to raise another $50,000 and we will not stop until the plane takes off. We have a responsibility to help our people at this time of crisis,” he expressed.

28.Jun’s cargo plane is set to fly directly from Toronto to Belgrade as soon the funds are raised and could leave at a moment’s notice. The aid will then be distributed to the victims of flooding in Serbia and Repulika Srpska.

The solution? In addition to the usual fundraising efforts already in place, 28.Jun president, Filip Filipi, whose role in life before starting the non-profit was that of music artist, hopes that donated funds from a song he wrote as an ode to his grandmother, who first inspired his philanthropic career change, will help. Entitled “Mandonlins Cry” the song is available for purchase on iTunes. All sale proceeds will be used to finance the cargo plane’s flight from Toronto, where the donated items are now housed, to the Balkans where they will be distributed.

The brainchild of Filipi and longtime friend, Mia Divac, “Mandolins Cry” was written in both English and Serbian, Filipi’s native tongue. The correspnding music video, which actually incorporates two songs, was produced by the two in collaboration with ZG Films and was directed by Gregory J. Brown.

Filipi hopes that the song will further generate awareness of his peoples’ plight and inspire them not only to help, but also to spread the word amongst their friends and family members.

“Food, medical supplies and hygiene products are in desperate need on the ground in this region and a shipment of this quantity would help immensely,” said Ljubomir Miladinovic, head of International Relations Department at the Red Cross of Serbia.

“We want to thank everyone who donated and stress we need the public’s help in finishing off this humanitarian effort. We need about $50,000 more to send off this aid, which is worth millions so please donate generously,” added Fillipi.

“Mandolins Cry” iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mandolins-cry-single/id771329762

Music Video on YouTube