French journalist covered over 2,000 km on bike to raise funds for Ukraine's Armed Forces
French journalist Sébastien Gobert rode his bike from Lviv to Brussels to collect money for the unit that defends Ukraine, which includes his friend Jonathan Loops.
Source: Gobert spoke about his 25-day charity bike ride on Facebook
Details: During this time, Sébastien visited five countries, including Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
The journalist stated that he intended to cover 1,700 kilometres on bicycle, but he had to take detours in certain areas, so it ended up being "a tad more" – 2,136 kilometres.
He made two stops along the road, at Szczecin, Poland, and Berlin, Germany. Sébastien had to bike through the rain for two days, while "a million dogs" barked at him along the way.
The journalist said he drank four glasses of beer during his stay, three of which were a "mistake".
During the charity tour, he collected UAH 315,000 (about €7,000). According to the initiative's organiser, Ukrainian literary critic Tetiana Oharkova, the money will be transferred to the Kolo charity foundation's volunteer centre.
"Ukrainians, French, Belgians, and other foreigners have donated. Thank you to everyone for each hryvnia and euro!" she wrote.
The money gathered by volunteers will go towards purchasing a pickup truck for Jonathan's unit in the Ukrainian army.
As Sébastien previously stated, Jonathan is a former French military officer who joined the 66th Mechanised Brigade named after Prince Mstyslav the Brave. Within the Ukrainian army, he helped to resist the Russian advance in the Kyiv Oblast and fought in Sieverodonetsk, Bakhmut, and Kherson Oblast’s left bank.
"I usually stay in the shadows because I dislike the media. But, after 2.5 years, it's time to seek help. On 7 July, a bullet penetrated my thigh, striking an artery and a bone.
We had no transportation, so the evacuation took some time. I was near death. That's why I'm asking for help in obtaining a pickup truck, which will make getting around easier and save lives.
Thanks to the excellent work of surgeons, I am back at the front. We truly do not have enough equipment [...] and, unfortunately, it doesn't just affect our lives," he wrote at the end of September.
Tetiana Oharkova stated that the fundraiser is not yet over because the final goal is UAH 320,000. As a result, anyone can still join and support the army.
"Those who did not have time or who still want to chip in and be a part of this success story, it is not too late; we have extended the fundraiser for one day because prices for pickups are increasing!" she wrote.
In late April, Kristo Enn Vaga, a member of the Estonian parliament, embarked on a bike ride from the Estonian capital Tallinn to Kyiv to raise funds in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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