Island Rallies For "Nantucket Cares" Mission To Aid Ukrainian Refugees

“Nantucket Cares,” the upcoming aid mission by a group of island residents to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing war, continues to build momentum and garner support across the island and beyond.

Over the past week, a number of island businesses have made major financial commitments to the cause, while island students have been creating works of art, cards, and donating stuffed animals for Ukrainian refugee children. Marine Home Center has committed $10,000 plus a pallet of flashlights that is already on its way to Warsaw in Poland. Both Island Energy Services and East Wood Trading have also kicked in significant donations.

“The momentum of what people are adding to this, it’s been incredible,” said Tom McCann, the founder of Nantucket Holidays for Heroes who is spearheading the Nantucket Cares initiative for Ukrainian refugees. “Yesterday I had at least 150 to 200 texts. I was up until midnight taking calls from all over the place. The business community has been going crazy.”

McCann said he had walked into Marine Home Center to ask about flashlights, understanding the need given so many Ukrainian cities and towns are now without electricity. After bumping into Marine Home Center President Walt Spokowski and explaining what he was doing, McCann walked out with a $10,000 check and the commitment of a pallet of flashlights.

So far, McCann said, Nantucket Cares has raised more than $150,000, and it has already shipped more than $20,000 worth of supplies to Poland, including food items such as 3,000 protein bars, along with baby clothes, medicine, hygienic products, teddy bears and more.

McCann will be joined by island residents Johnathan and Kasia Chmielewska Rodriguez, Chris Yates, Kit Noble, along with Jacquie Colgan and Brian McKernan. Their journey - which begins this Saturday night when they derpart from Logan airport in Boston - will take them to a Polish refugee center, the Warsaw train station, as well as a border crossing station.

In addition to those headed overseas from Nantucket, there is also a group of island residents who have been working behind the scenes to help coordinate the trip, along with the fundraising effort. McCann mentioned his wife Mary-Jo McCann, as well as Robin Slick, Tracy Long, Holly Finigan, Sarah Cribari, and Cheryl Fudge, among others, who are all playing different roles to help make the Nantucket Cares mission a success.

“The team is growing,” McCann said. “It’s really snowballing.”

For more information, and to donate, click here.