OTTAWA – The first meeting of the UCC Invictus Games Organizing Committee took place in Toronto on November 10 with a call for volunteers to join the community efforts to support Team Ukraine’s participation in the Invictus Games that will be held in Toronto, September 24-30, 2017.
The UCC Invictus Games Organizing Committee, chaired by Renata Roman, includes representatives of UCC national, UCC Toronto and representatives of many Ukrainian community organizations, as well as individual community members.
Volunteers are needed to implement plans for fund-raising, logistics, social media and special events to support the participation of team Ukraine’s wounded, ill and injured military personnel and veterans.
“Our UCC team is excited to work with team Ukraine to host and welcome the Ukrainian soldiers and veterans who gave so much of themselves in service of their country,” said Ms. Roman. “We are asking community members to work together with us to support the soldiers coming from Ukraine to participate to ensure they have a successful experience.”
The Invictus Games Toronto Committee needs up to 1,500 volunteers to work at venues and behind the scenes. To learn more go to http://www.invictusgames 2017.com/volunteer/.
The UCC Invictus Organizing Committee is also looking for volunteers to support team Ukraine. Names and contact information of volunteers can be sent to [email protected].
The UCC encouraged community members to follow Team Ukraine on Facebook to keep updated on the latest news and information at https://www.facebook.com/InvictusGamesTeamUkraine/.
The Invictus Games are an international sports competition in which wounded, ill and injured military personnel and veterans take part. Founded by Prince Harry, the inaugural Invictus Games took place in London in 2014, with more than 450 competitors from 13 nations. More information on the Invictus Games is available at http://www.invictusgames2017.com/.
Ukraine’s armed forces
Totaling 260,000 personnel, the Ukrainian army is now among the largest forces in Europe, with several thousand soldiers on active duty in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine. Since 1992, Ukrainian forces have been actively engaged in multiple exercises and peacekeeping missions under U.N. and NATO command across the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa. Ukrainian naval units also participated in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.
Today, Ukraine is defending itself from an active invasion by Russia; over the past two and a half years Ukraine has suffered almost 10,000 deaths and over 20,000 wounded by this war.