By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — In the early hours of Sunday morning, a Senator International plane will be packed with more than 270,000 meals here before it takes off on a multistop route to Rockford’s Ukrainian sister city.
The 747 aircraft will take off from the Chicago Rockford International Airport to a gateway in Frankfurt, Germany, before the logistic company’s German team takes over to bring the supplies to the Romania-Ukraine border. From there, Kids Around the World and a team of Romanian and Ukrainian locals will deliver the meals to the people of Brovary, Rockford’s sister city since 1995.
Senator International is helping deliver the meals free of charge as part of the Brovary relief effort, which has raised more than $161,000 for the community northeast of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
“We strongly believe that in a global crisis everybody who can should step up to the plate,” said Florian Knoll, district manager of Senator International. “I’m really, really proud to be part of a company who wants to help. We’re a only a small link in the chain. There’s so many people involved. We’re just happy and proud that we can do our part.”
Related: ‘Everything you’re watching it’s true and worse’: Rockford launches Brovary relief fund
Senator International also plans to help with future deliveries, including transporting baby formula next week.
“Romania is still pretty safe … but of course it’s always a concern if you send someone in a region like this,” Knoll said. “This is why we’re very, very grateful to actually have locals from Ukraine and from Romania distributing everything in, probably, their personal cars even.”
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The Brovary Relief Fund launched March 4 to help deliver funds and critical supplies to the town of about 110,000 in Ukraine.
Diesel generators were previously sent to Brovary, and nearly nine full pallets of medical supplies were delivered to the Brovary hospital.
“We’re doing some pretty difficult things,” Mayor Tom McNamara said Thursday. “Getting the product is one thing. Raising money is another thing, but getting this product into a war-torn country that’s literally being shelled as we speak — it’s an undertaking and just tremendous credit to all of our partners to make this possible so that we can support the citizens in our sister city.”
Related: ‘One of the strongest tools we have when we feel helpless’: Rockford faithful pray for Ukraine
McNamara said the city and its partners — the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Kids Around the World and the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois — won’t stop raising money and helping the people of Ukraine in any way they can. He said he was appreciative of Senator International’s willingness to support the effort.
“It’s heartwarming for me to know that we have businesses like that in our community who truly do care,” McNamara said.
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Airport Director Mike Dunn also extended his thanks to Senator International.
“It is an honor to serve as its Midwest hub and we are pleased to provide an avenue for Senator International to transport this critical food donation to those in need,” Dunn said.
Related: Rockford church holds weekly prayer service for Ukraine
How to help | Brovary Relief Fund
To donate, visit cfnil.org or kidsaroundtheworld.com to make a secure online contribution.
Checks can also be made out and mailed to either organization with a note that says the funds should be used for the Brovary Relief Fund.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.