I posted this to my social media accounts, but my ADD wont let me go further until I post it here as well. It's mostly things you already know, but it's a tidy wrap up to the run reports:
Well guys, I thought I had one heckuva last update for ya, but it didn’t work out.
While talking with Ira back at the school, during our last delivery, we put our heads together and I offered to drive into Ukraine empty and bring back some school books. It was going to be SUPER helpful to the school, and I wouldn’t need a fundraiser to do it. Unfortunately it didn’t work out (yet).
The Ukrainian school books they need are printed in Kharkiv, and you can imagine they’ve had some difficulty keeping up with demand. Add in the fact, that every school in Ukraine also needs copies of those books, and you can see how this spirals into impossibility for us pretty quick.
Not wanting to give up, I tried (and am still trying) a few other things. None of them have yet come into fruition, but I haven’t stopped trying.
One was to keep the run into Ukraine on the September schedule and fundraise for FOOD in addition to the medical supplies we’ve already collected for Rebekah M. (the American medic serving with the Ukraine Army) but neither myself or a mutual friend has been able to get in contact with her about the food stuffs we’re able to procure. We’ll still send in the medical supplies we collected when we do go, but without her express consent I’m reluctant to start a second fundraiser in her name.
Obstacles, obstacles, obstacles. it’s what we ran into when all this started, and it looks like it’s what we’re going to run into now that the offensive has really started to move. It wont stop us, we’re still probing every possibility, and when we get something solid, you can bet your butt we’re going to run with it.
So what now? Well guys, on that trip to Dnipro we had over $4000 in donations raised. With that we bought 4 of the big UV disinfectant lights (at $612 each), and 14 of the smaller disinfectant lights (at $156each). The other half of the money was used to purchase school supplies for 60 children currently taking shelter from the fighting that’s happening in their home town.
About now, some of you are saying “But Bill! That’s more than $4000!” and you’re right. Not wanting to break the 50/50 barrier we promised with regards to funds spending on children vs hospital, the over-balance was covered by our credit cards. Looking back at those pictures we received, it was the right decision.
And of course, in addition to all that, Vikki in Dnipro pulled the stunt of the century when it came to getting us those chocolates and butter biscuits to bring back to the 50 refugee children studying in Budapest.
And with that the run updates for the trip are over, and the preparation for the next run begins.
Cue: The List
they touched my heart very deeply - every written word 
) to laugh at.
