Relief supplies in the Argo hangar. Photo W.S.R. Argo The collection campaign started on Sunday 27 February and ended on Monday 28 February at noon, says Argo chair Luwe Groot (23).
‘A former Argonaut (member of the student rowing association Argo, ed.) has a farm in Ukraine’, Groot says. He refers to former chair Kees Huizinga. ‘He keeps us appraised of the situation there through an app group for former chairs, and he is also a member of the app group for competitive rowers. He is still in Ukraine at this time but has managed to get his wife and child to safety in Romania. His wife called for a collection campaign for relief supplies, ranging from sleeping bags to matrasses and medicines. We wanted to help.’
Thus, the rowers put out a message in various app groups and the Wageningen Student Plaza Facebook group on Sunday, calling on everyone willing to help the people of Ukraine to deliver relief supplies to Argo. And there were plenty of people willing, Groot says. ‘We collected goods from Sunday afternoon till Monday lunchtime. In that short time, a huge number of people, including those not affiliated to Argo, donated supplies.’
Call center
Some people needed help to donate items. Groot: ‘We received calls from people who wanted to donate a mattress but did not have a car to bring it to us and asked whether we could pick it up. Our boardroom became a call centre. And while the boardroom transformed into a call centre, the hangar changed into storage for crates, bags and boxes filled with clothing, canned food, helmets, tents, medication, female hygiene products, painkillers, shoes and much more.’
One Argonaut also distributed a message in various app groups asking for donations through Tikkie, Groot says. ‘She would then use the money to buy supplies. We disseminated her message, including among former members, and we received over six thousand euros in donations. Rather than simply buying stuff, we asked what was needed most. So we bought generators that will be sent to Ukraine.’
Truckload
The plan was to bring the collected supplies to a collection point at a farmer in Bennekom who is a network contact of the Ukrainian farmer. ‘From there, a truck was to take the relief goods to Ukraine’, Groot states. However, on Monday, we were suddenly told that so much had already been donated that there was no room for our stuff. Quite a shock. Now what?’
After a few calls back and forth, it turned out that several more trucks were to travel to Ukraine shortly. So the Argonauts loaded the goods onto two boat trailers and a van and delivered them to the collection point in Bennekom. The goods will be taken to the border between Poland and Ukraine, where they will be sorted for further transportation. Not every region in Ukraine has the same need for supplies.
Grote bereidheid
Groot is humbled by the number of goods that were donated in just one day. ‘This was a spontaneous endeavour. Many people want to help but don’t know precisely how. But, given a chance, they rise to the occasion.’
Now that their relief efforts are concluded. The Argonauts will evaluate. ‘We ran into some issues that resulted from this being such a spontaneous action. But being able to collect so many supplies in such a short time is fantastic. I would be delighted if we could do more.’
