URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) – A crowd dressed in blue and yellow gathered at the Alma Mater statue Sunday to show their support for Ukraine. Over a hundred people across ages and backgrounds rallied for peace in Urbana.

“I want people to know that the people of Ukraine are fighting and they won’t back down. They have such a strong spirit,” Larysa Brandys, president of the Ukrainian Student Association at the University of Illinois said.

Thousands of miles away, Ukrainians are fighting for their lives – and their country.

“Just last month, I held my little cousin, and now he’s seeking refuge in Poland, while his parents stay across the border to fight,” one student said.

Here at home, U of I students, faculty and community members are showing their support.

“I’ve been sucked deep into the news – from bombings in new cities to a baby that was born in Kiev’s underground metro, she said. “All I can think about is if I’ll ever see my family again.”

The Ukrainian Student Association took action by hosting a rally on campus.

“Obviously, this is a peaceful rally. This is not anti-anything. This is just standing with Ukraine, showing support spreading awareness,” Daniel Brandys, vice president of the Ukrainian Student Association said.

Many have family members overseas right now – and said they’re afraid they may never see their relatives again.

“To see all these people supporting Ukraine, reaching out to us reaching out to our family, it’s very amazing.”

People across ages and cultures showed up, including those with Russian backgrounds.

“I feel huge grief for Ukraine. And I’m disgusted and infuriated as a historian of the Soviet Union,” graduate student Stas Khudzik said.

People were hurting and frustrated… But mostly, they just wanted to help.

“The sign says: ‘Russian soldiers, go back home. This is not your war.'”

They say the best thing to do from home is spread the word.

“This moment of time, Ukraine needs help. And this is what we can do – we can come to this place and support the people of Ukraine and let everybody else know what’s going on in Ukraine,” Volodymyr Kindratenko, Senior Research Scientist at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications said.

You can keep up with the organization’s future events on social media.