Alex Kowal plans to walk the distance between Nottingham and Leicester
A British-Ukrainian will undertake a walk between two cities to mark the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.
Alex Kowal said he planned to walk the 45 km (28 mi) distance between the Nottingham Ukrainian Center and the Leicester Ukrainian Center.
In Leicester, he plans to join a vigil, to be held to remember the outbreak of the war.
The service will take place in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento starting at 17:30 GMT.
Kowal said: “I decided that for the first anniversary of the invasion… I wanted to raise money for Ukrainians who are still there defending their homeland, hiding from the shelling of the invaders or helping other Ukrainians who are fleeing their homes in different parts of the country. from the country”.
He said he had started doing long walks for charities in 2013 and had done one a year since then.
‘So inspiring’
Kowal, 40, a second-generation Ukrainian who works as a support analyst at Next’s head office near Leicester, plans to leave Nottingham via Ruddington and chart a course through Charnwood before reaching Leicester.
“I expect it to take nine to 10 hours,” he said. “I’m really going to try my best because I want to be at the vigil and show my support.”
He said that he had relatives in Ukraine, including a cousin at the front.
“I just want to raise as much as I can for the people of Ukraine because I find their determination very inspiring,” he said.
He plans to raise money for the British-Ukrainian Aid charity.
“They do a great job of supplying medical supplies and equipment to the front line,” he said.
A spokesman for the Leicester Ukrainian Center said it had helped send more than 17,000 aid boxes to Ukraine since March 2022.
She said members would gather in Plaza del Ayuntamiento for a candlelight vigil in remembrance.
“We will commemorate and condemn the atrocity against the peaceful country of Ukraine, honor the fallen soldiers and civilian victims, and support the Ukrainian armed forces,” he added.