As a member of the Board of Directors with Hope For Ukraine, my commitment to this mission runs deep. In May 2025, I spent four weeks volunteering on the ground in Ukraine, delivering critical food supplies to families in Kherson. Joining the board was a natural extension of that work, offering a permanent way to continue providing hands-on humanitarian assistance. That ongoing dedication is what brought my wife, Bobby, and me to Italy in August 2026, where we spent time at the No Sirens Camp—a summer sanctuary for Ukrainian children organized and sponsored by Hope For Ukraine.
The program brings approximately 40 children and staff from Ukraine to Italy for four 10-day sessions, welcoming roughly 160 children over a 40-day period. The specific group we joined comprised competitive swimming athletes from Kryvyi Rih, a city constantly targeted by drones and missiles and situated directly along the flight path for attacks heading toward other regions of Ukraine, meaning air raid sirens sound incessantly.
The camp is exceptionally well-run, offering a vibrant schedule of organized sporting activities, beach days, swimming, crafts, exercise programs, and excursions for children aged 10 to 15. It gives these kids an invaluable opportunity to experience a normal world free from bombs, alarms, and bomb shelters. Watching them play as children should—swimming, playing football, crafting, going on field trips, and dancing endlessly—was pure joy. Their smiles, laughter, and carefree spirit represented a profound return to normalcy, even if just for a short time, far away from the constant anxiety of sirens and falling debris.
Beneath the surface of what looks and feels like any typical American summer camp, however, conversations with the children reveal the immense weight of what they endure daily. At home, their swimming practices are perpetually interrupted by alarms, forcing them to cycle back and forth between bomb shelters and the pool. In fact, these young athletes often spend more time sheltering than swimming. They share chilling stories of bombs dropping near their homes and recount how their local sports school had its windows blown out by nearby blasts.
These resilient children all harbor hopes, dreams, and detailed plans for the future. Yet, for now, those aspirations remain deferred until a time when war no longer dictates every moment of their lives. Helping out at the camp, I spent my days organizing activities, cheering on the kids, and making sure everything ran smoothly so they could just focus on being children.
It was a truly unique privilege for Bobby and me to share this unforgettable experience with such extraordinary kids.