Markdale based Chapman’s Ice Cream is donating 1,605 made in Canada first aid kits to Ukraine.
“We wanted to do something that would be impactful that could actually save a life,” says Chapman’s Vice President Ashley Chapman.
His wife Lesya’s family is in Kyiv and the couple wants to do whatever they can to help. “My wife is the only member of her family that’s actually in Canada. Everyone else is predominantly in Kyiv or the surrounding area,” says Chapman.
He says it was Lesya’s idea to send first aid kits with tourniquets, solar blankets, bandages and gauze, “All the things you would need if you were hurt in the fighting over there,” says Chapman who explains he started calling around his community with the idea, and was put in contact with Findlay Scientific in Laval, Quebec which stepped up to provide the kits at cost.
Chapman’s partnered with Priceville based SMRS Construction, Markdale based Johnson & Schwass Professional Corporation, Georgian Hills Vineyards in Clarksburg and the Oshawa Church Hockey League to buy the kits.
They are stacked on pallets, wrapped, tagged and set to go to the airport Thursday, then they’ll be flown to Ukraine on a Polish plane.
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Chapman’s donated $50,000 to the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation. The company posted about it on Twitter with a link to donate. Chapman says he doesn’t know the actual dollar value of what was donated through that Twitter link, but says over 5,000 people clicked on it. He notes any amount makes a difference, if it’s $1, $5, $10 or more, it all adds up.
Still, he says, “There truly isn’t enough being done with the situation over there in light of the atrocities that have come to the light in the last week. There’s still that sense of hopelessness. We need to do more as a country–whatever it is.”
Chapman adds, “I was heartened to hear that at least Ontario is going to provide healthcare for the refugees coming in. Now we’ve just got to get them here and offer safe spaces for them to either wait out the war or just settle here, because let’s be honest, some of these people, their cities, their towns, their villages are gone. There’s nothing left to go back home to. ”
He adds, “I would definitely like to do everything in my power to urge our politicians to actually stand up to Putin and do what needs to be done to stop this war because it’s literally getting worse every minute of every day.”
Lesya’s family remains in and around Kyiv.
Chapman says, “Ukrainians…let me tell you, I married one. I know how tough they are. They don’t want to leave. It’s their country. They love it there. They’re proud of their country, what they’ve accomplished.”
He says some family members are hiding in basements, another is part of a defensive militia. “They don’t want to leave, they want to fight and they want to stand up for their country,” says Chapman.
We’re happy to donate 1,605 intermediate first aid kits to @CUFCanada next week for Ukraine, in collaboration with @findlaySCI, SMRS Construction, Johnson & Schwass Professional Corporation, @GeorgianHills, and @OCHL1. 💙💛 Thank you for partnering with us. #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/2f4d2Jor6L
— Chapman’s Ice Cream (@Chapmans_Canada) April 4, 2022
We #StandWithUkraine. Ukraine needs our help and support now.
We are contacting The Canada-Ukraine Foundation to contribute $50,000 towards the Ukraine Humanitarian Relief fund.
Join us in this effort: https://t.co/0aVlt2djsA.
Ukrainian Canadian Congress: https://t.co/auA5yx0q9f pic.twitter.com/z2kUQvwYys— Chapman’s Ice Cream (@Chapmans_Canada) February 25, 2022