Currently among them are tourniquets for Lithuanian soldiers, a generator for the 4th Tank Brigade, vehicles, EcoFlow power stations, Starlink communication equipment, and other support needed by soldiers, especially relevant as another winter approaches, during which important infrastructure is likely to be destroyed again.
The march is organized by Trail Masters, TrenkTuras, and the Angels of Light charity and support fund. All funds raised from march tickets will be allocated to larger support needs for Ukraine, and event participants will be able to choose a specific smaller goal to which they would like to donate their additional contribution.
The essence of this march is very simple for us – behind every request stands a specific person. When we see “tourniquets needed” or “generator needed,” it is important to understand that this is not just a list of items. There is a soldier who may need those tourniquets tomorrow. There are people for whom a generator means the ability to operate and survive. Therefore, we want people coming to the march to see not an abstract Ukraine, but specific people we can help,” says Aldėja Kuralavičiūtė, director of Angels of Light.
From the Baltic Way to today’s Ukraine
The march is held in the context of Baltic Way Day and the upcoming Independence Day of Ukraine. On August 23, 1989, nearly two million people from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined hands for freedom. Today, people in Ukraine are fighting for the freedom of their country, and they need concrete help every day.
“We want to remember the Baltic Way not only as a beautiful historical date. At that time, Lithuanians clearly knew what they were standing for. Today we can do something similar – go and at the same time help people who are fighting for their and our freedom. This is not just a symbolic event. The result of the march will be real support,” says A. Kuralavičiūtė.
At the event – experiences of Ukrainian people
On the day of the march, participants will also have an educational program. Ukrainians who fled their country because of the war will conduct a camouflage net weaving workshop. They themselves actively contribute to support for Ukraine in Lithuania, and event visitors will be able to participate in net weaving with their own hands.
The event will also offer a chance to get acquainted with the daily life at the beginning of the war in Ukraine through food. A Ukrainian woman from Kakhovka in the Kherson region will cook traditional Ukrainian porridge during the event, which civilians made and delivered to their soldiers at the start of the war. For a donation, it will be possible to purchase this dish – meat porridge with pickled vegetables.
According to the organizers, these activities were chosen so that the event would not be only about fundraising.
“We want people not only to donate but also to see, meet, and hear. So that a person who may not have been to Ukraine and has not seen the war can at least somewhat approach the experience of Ukrainians. When you weave part of a camouflage net yourself or eat food that people cooked for their soldiers at the start of the war, the war becomes not such a distant concept,” says A. Kuralavičiūtė.
Everyone can choose what to contribute to
The organizers invite not only experienced hikers but also families, groups of friends, and people who just want to spend August 22 meaningfully. Participants can choose a 6 or 18-kilometer route.
“The most important part of this march for me is the opportunity for a person to choose for themselves. One may want to support a Lithuanian soldier and buy him a tourniquet. Another – contribute to the generator for the 4th Tank Brigade. Another may want to help raise a larger amount needed for support. There is no one right way to help. What matters is that the help is concrete,” says A. Kuralavičiūtė.
The organizers emphasize that funds raised from tickets will be allocated to larger support needs for Ukraine, and additional donations from participants during the event will be directed to specific soldier requests presented at that time.
The march “For Your and Our Freedom” will take place on August 22 in Vilnius. The start and finish are at Pučkoriai Hillfort. Participants can choose a 6 or 18-kilometer route.
This time, people are invited not only to come to the march but also to see who specifically needs help and to choose for themselves what to contribute to.
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More information and registration here.
