Lions Club international runners stop in Odessa, Kingston as part of fundraising run

Yesterday, an international contingent of runners arrived in Odessa as part of the Lions Charity Run. The Lions Club runners are raising funds to support children affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

According to a release from Loyalist Township, the Lions Charity Run is a 1,026 kilometre running journey, which departed from Lions International Headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois on Friday, Jun. 17, 2022. The runners arrived in Odessa at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jun. 22, 2022.

The runners, hailing from Ukraine, Poland and Germany, are running to raise funds to support children affected by the war in Ukraine, the Township stated. According to the release, members of the Amherstview Lions Club, the Bath Lions Club and the Odessa Lions Club will be donating $500 each in support of the cause. Organizers have set the overall fundraising goal of the run at $100,000.

Jim Hegadorn, Deputy Mayor for Loyalist Township, and Ric Bresee, MPP-Elect for Hastings—Lennox & Addington, were on hand to welcome the runners to Odessa. The runners continued on to Kingston where they spent the night. The Township shared that today, Thursday, Jun. 23, 2022, they will continue the run, with the next stop being Ottawa. According to the release, the runners will complete their journey on Saturday, Jun. 25, 2022, when they arrive in Montreal, Quebec.

On social media, the Mayor’s Fund for Ukrainian Refugees welcomed the runners to Kingston. “I was so pleased and proud to welcome our Ukrainian runners and representatives from all over the world to Kingston today on behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian Club of Kingston,” said Nadia Luciuk, Representative of the Ukrainian Canadian Club of Kingston. “Thank you to the Lions Club for supporting Ukraine “