We’re Maksym and Veronika — two Ukrainian students living in the U.S. On July 27, we’ll be running our first full marathon together in San Francisco to raise $3,000 for the Hospitallers — a volunteer group of paramedics saving lives in Ukraine. We recently got engaged, and this is our first marathon together — something meaningful we wanted to do for others.

Last summer, we ran the San Francisco Half Marathon. This year, we’re going the full distance — for everyone that cannot run or even walk, today or forever, those who can't flee, and can’t stop fighting.

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Why this is personal for us?

Because of the war, our lives are divided. Maksym can’t return to Ukraine, his home, for more than 3 years now — he’s of drafting age and would be immediately conscripted. Veronika’s father can’t leave the country at all — all men of drafting age are forbidden from crossing the border. Maksym has never met Veronika’s parents — even after 3 years together.

We’re building a future and working towards our goals every day, but a part of us is frozen — separated from family, waiting for peace. This run is a way to turn that helplessness into something tangible and life-saving.

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Who Are the Hospitallers?

The Hospitallers are volunteer paramedics who:

Their base was recently destroyed in a drone strike — and they kept going.

This fundraiser is not for weapons. It’s for medical aid only — to save lives. Hospitallers was founded by Yana Zinkevych in 2014, when she was just 18 years old, after Russia invaded Crimea and war broke out in the Donbas region. Just a year into their work, during a medical evacuation, Yana was severely injured in a car crash and has been wheelchair-bound ever since. Despite this, she continues to lead the organization with extraordinary courage.

Photo credits: https://news.sky.com/story/amp/ukraine-war-80-of-troops-killed-or-injured-in-elite-military-unit-says-commander-and-its-future-is-unclear-12639752

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What your donation accomplishes and how funds will be used:

$25 - Provides trauma supplies for emergency evacuations

$50 - Funds fuel for one ambulance rescue missions

$100 - Supplies medical equipment for field operations

$250 - Supports ambulance maintenance to keep crews operational

Your contribution helps sustain this entire network of life-savers — every donation directly funds emergency medical care, civilian evacuations, and the training that creates more paramedics.

Our goal is $3,000, and every dollar truly counts. Together, we can help keep these 500+ volunteers equipped and operational as they risk their lives to save others.

We may be far away, but Ukraine is always in our heart. This run is a symbol of endurance, love, and solidarity — and a way to help those who are still fighting to live.

Thank you for helping us make this real.

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Transparency statement

Organizers: Veronika Kitsul & Maksym Bondarenko

Beneficiary: Hospitallers Medical Battalion, Ukraine

Location of aid: Ukraine

Use of funds: We will withdraw the funds to a U.S. bank account and transfer them directly to Hospitallers via secure, verified Ukrainian donation portals (monobank, official website, etc.). We do this to minimize processing fees — and thus increase the percentage of funds that goes towards actually helping the paramedics.

We will publicly post proof of transfer and receipts after the fundraiser ends.