On September 4, the International Run Supporting Children in Ukraine “Back to School” united more than 5 hundred people in Zhytomyr. 3 hundred runners covered 3 or 5 km distances.

Zhytomyr Community Fund, together with its partners the Zhytomyr City Council, and “Make Me Tri” sports club held this event to support schoolchildren whose educational institutions were destroyed by Russian bombs and rockets.

The central location of the “Back to School Run” was the city of Zhytomyr, and the key goal was to raise funds for the purchase of equipment to arrange temporary premises where the students of Zhytomyr Lyceum No. 25 will study. The building, facilities and resources of the lyceum were destroyed as a result of an air strike by a Russian missile on March 4, 2022 p.

Sister cities and friends of Zhytomyr and Zhytomyr Community Fund are also involved in the organization of the “Back to School Run”. They will hold similar races in their own cities. In particular, our idea of ​​a charity run was supported by the cities of Gdynia, Płock, Bytom, Villa Nova de Famalican and Auschwitz.

Soldiers, policemen, doctors and medical staff, teachers, athletes and representatives of other professions, students and schoolchildren ran together. Also, those who registered for the online format can take part in the “Back to School Run” from September 4 to 18.

Various activities and workshops for children took place in the tent city. Harley the dog from the canine center of the Zhytomyr region police department was especially popular among children.

“It is very symbolic, that the “Back to School Run” takes place exactly on September 4. Exactly six month ago the Lyceum No. 25 was destroyed. Three hundred people registered to participate in the “Back to School Run”. We bought 3 hundred medals and 3 hundred starter packages. Today, more people have joined, so they will run without bib numbers, but they will run to support schoolchildren. Therefore, we will hold the “Back to School Run”, and then we will count how much funds we manage to raise. In addition, 5 more cities will also hold the “Back to School Run”, just as we planned. It’s great when people unite to support both children and Ukraine,” Zhanna Soloviova, Chairwoman of the Board of Zhytomyr Community Fund, said.

As a result of the “Back to School Run” in Zhytomyr, we managed to raise more than UAH 90 thousand. Not a single hryvnia from the charitable contributions of the participants was spent for the organization and holding of the “Back to School Run” or for the purchase of starting packages and medals. The event was held by Zhytomyr Community Fund within the “Emergency Support of Community Funds” project as part of the Agreement between the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Non-Governmental Organization “Initiative Center for the Promotion of Activity and Development of the Community Initiative “Unity”.

The funds raised as a result of the “Back to School Run” will be spent for the arrangement of classrooms where the students of Zhytomyr Lyceum No. 25 study in wartime conditions.

Fundraising is still on. You can transfer the charitable contribution via the following link: https://cutt.ly/6CqZWg8

Thank you to everyone who took part in the organization and holding of the “Back to School Run”! This event once again proved that our strength is in unity!