English Channel Backstroke - to Support Ukrainian Aid

Hi everyone! My name is Harrison Haines, and some time between July 28th and August 9th of 2025, I'll be swimming the English Channel... Backstroke. Less than 2,000 people have ever successfully crossed the English Channel solo-- that is c. 1/4 as many as have climbed mount Everest, and only 3 people are known to have completed the feat Backstroke.

In June of 2023, I was a member of an English Channel relay team that raised over £200k for charity. As part of that effort, I was fortunate enough to meet with the Solidarite Ukraine (a French NGO) team in France. At the the beginning of the war, the organization had been critical in funding and organizing busses of refugees from the front line in Ukraine to France, and working to get their families assimilated; teaching the families French, getting the kids in schools, and the parents jobs. You can read more about what they've been doing here: https://solidariteukraine.org/

Over the last two years, while the news cycle has moved on, the situation in Ukraine has only worsened. Solidarite Ukraine has continued to provide both aid to refugees, along with front line relief to families that remain in Ukraine. Since 2022, the organization has organized over 40x 22-tonne trucks of humanitarian relief including medical and school supplies to the most vulnerable towns in the country.

I am partnering with RememberUS (a US NGO for the ease of US donors), with 100% of funds to be remitted to Solidarite Ukraine, so they can continue providing the critical relief. Each 22-tonne truck costs c. €3,500, and every contribution, big or small, makes a real impact in saving lives. Even just a few dollars can help move this mission forward and reach those who need it most.

If you can’t donate right now, sharing this fundraiser is also incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. It means the world to me.