More aid on its way to Ukraine from Langford
A humanitarian team from Langford has now made two trips to the war-torn country of Ukraine. Those missions have brought much-needed supplies to the country and helped feed tens of thousands of displaced people.
On Tuesday, the team was in Esquimalt unloading a U-Haul truck full of life-saving medical aid destined for Ukraine.
“This is equipment that we had acquired and intended to take over in February,” said Bob Beckett, who has organized the humanitarian trips.
In February, the team travelled to Ukraine with 18 hockey bags full of aid. Now, more will be on its way.
“I think with everything here we’re (at) approximately $30,000 in medical aid,” said Jon Schmid, of WUNDERfund, a non-profit that partnered with the team on their last mission.
The team was unloading the truck at the Monk Office warehouse in Esquimalt.
“Any time we can help out in any way in a small capacity, it’s super important,” said Ian Taylor, director of commercial sales with Monk Office.
Monk has contributed to the humanitarian effort by donating $10,000 worth of school supplies. Much of it was too heavy to pack into the hockey bags during the team's last trip.
Six pallets consisting of the remaining medical equipment, school supplies and a Jaws of Life are soon to be destined for Ukraine with Mississauga-based Ukraine Medical Support.
That organization will be shipping the Langford team's supplies along with its own aid, free of charge.
“We already have a full container ready to go, but we do wait for Bob’s stuff to arrive,” said Slava Lukan, director of Ukraine Medical Support.
“These missions are very important for us."
“It means what we’re saving on transportation will go into the procurement of medical equipment that are so badly need,” added Beckett.
The container will be shipped from Ontario at the end of April.
With many schools in Ukraine not having bomb shelters, a school district in Calgary has now donated 400-used Chromebooks to the team, so students in Ukraine can learn remotely.
“SD 62 is providing us with another approximately 300 used devices,” said Beckett.
As the war continues in Ukraine with no end in sight, the team pledges to continue to help in any way it can.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.