Pierre Laubscher started raising money for the Ukraine Red Cross in Mar-2022 with the Sheffield Half Marathon. Pierre was just a fun runner completing about 500km a year, but as the conflict continued, he just carried on. Pierre completed his next challenge of 1,000km on 23-Oct-2022, with a Solo Half Marathon in Sheffield's Endcliffe Park. Plans to pass 2,000km were delayed by surgery in Apr-2023, but that milestone was reached in Jun-2023.

As the conflict continued, so did the fundraising. Pierre discovered that the distance from Sheffield to Donetsk, its twin city in Ukraine, was 3,000km. This became the next milestone, which was passed in Jan-2024. Now the target is 6,000km... Sheffield to Donetsk ...and back. In Oct-2023, Pierre set up the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Running Running Club which has over 800 members worldwide. Members are also able to join this fundraising team.

Why? Because humanitarian aid will be needed long after the conflict is over. Whatever you can spare, maybe the price of a meal out, that would be a small sacrifice compared to the hardship and tragedy experienced by the people of Ukraine.

The British Red Cross and its Ukraine partner are still very active with dozens of volunteers from the UK. They still need our help now more than in the beginning and help will still be needed beyond peace. The Red Cross provides relief for the tens of millions of people in Ukraine who have fled their homes, and have lost loved ones, by donating food, water, shelter and essentials. Pierre has met many Ukrainians on his fundraising journey and one family moved home 16 times. It has been a far more moving experience than he imagined.

Missile attacks hit record levels at the end of 2023 and in early Jan-2024 One key event was helping victims of the Kakhovka Dam collapse in Jun-2023. Concern across Ukraine is about the continuing conflict, and power station outages during the winter months ahead in 2024-25. Kyiv continues to have almost daily air-raid warnings and drone attacks hit record levels in February and March. Hypersonic missiles do not allow enough time to take shelter and killed residents in March. Russia bombed power stations and escalated its offence north of Kharkiv as well as in the Donbas.

With the support of the British Red Cross, so many friends, parkrunners, Endcliffe Park visitors, Friends Of The Porter Valley in Sheffield, and the worldwide Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Running Club on Strava, the fundraising goes on. Due to his surgery, Pierre deferred his London Marathon to Apr-2024 and was supported in training with members of the RCURC.

Remember, we are free to run in safety, whilst fellow runners in Ukraine sometimes run to the sound of air-raid sirens. Keep safe everyone in Ukraine and all over the world.