Among the candles they have sold to support causes such as childhood cancer, food insecurity, and disaster relief, one candle still shines the brightest for Door County Candle Company owners Nic and Christiana Trapani. It was three years ago that the business launched its Ukraine candle in the wake of Russia’s invasion of the country just days before. National notoriety soon followed, as did the over million dollars it raised to support Razom for Ukraine over the past three years. The relationship with the organization grew to provide more than 10,500 small tin candles for Ukrainians without electricity. As a Ukranian-American, Christiana says the Ukraine candle will always be a special one for them to support, and they have no intention of stopping.

Nic and Christiana say the support has grown to their other candles, creating change stateside, including many local causes like Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin, the Dillon Family Foundation, and the MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer).

The Trapanis say their candles have raised thousands of dollars for other causes of national interest, such as the wildfires in California and Hawaii and the states impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.