Over 50-thousand has been raised in support of a UNBC men’s basketball player’s fundraiser.
Vova Pluzhnikov held his 44 Kilometres for 44 Million event where he ran from city hall to the base of University Hill and back five times yesterday (Tuesday).
When asked how his body held up, Pluzhnikov told the local media there were a couple of moments that were more tiring than others.
“The second leg and the fifth one were the hardest ones. I think my body was trying to adjust during the second one and the fifth one was just the hardest. My brain was telling me I had just enough juice to push through the last one.”
The 26-year-old’s hometown of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine has been one of the main target points for the Russian military.
The city sustained a blitzkrieg of rocket attacks that left several people dead and hundreds more injured.
In addition, a TV tower was also bombed killing five people in the city centre as rockets, shelling, and other forms of artillery were used during the attack.
Just over 1.7 million people have fled the country since the invasion began two weeks ago.
While the fundraiser was organized fairly quickly, Pluzhnikov stated his original goal of 44-thousand held a special significance to him.
“It’s a funny story. The first time I was asked how much I wanted to raise and what is the goal I said $44,000. I was honest and in my mind, it would be significant and it is symbolic.”
“The people that were helping me, they kind of laughed it off and said that’s a pretty high goal and we have to be reasonable. They said $4500 would be really good and look at us now.”
Pluzhnikov has called the northern capital home for the last half dozen years and is blown away by how the community stepped up to the plate.
“I’ve been thinking about all the things I have been a part of in the last six years I’ve spent in Prince George. This is probably the biggest event when I was thinking about doing something for my people and I didn’t know it was going to be like this.”
The Kharkiv native wore a blue Ukraine basketball 2013 shirt during the run – the last time Ukraine had a peaceful year before their neverending conflict with the Russian Federation, which is nearing a decade.
“I was thinking about the teams that I played for, the tournaments I played in and the gyms I’ve been practicing at. Knowing that some of those buildings and facilities were destroyed but it’s good to have those memories – it’s important to look back on those times and remember all those things that happened.”
This money will be used by the Ministry of Social Policy to provide food and shelter for refugees and displaced citizens due to military conflict.
A link to donate can be found here.
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