A Canadian couple has helped almost 200 Ukrainians to escape the war and find refuge in Canada. When Russia invaded Ukraine, retired hockey goalie Michael Garnett, who played in Russia for nearly a decade, and his wife, airline pilot Rebecca Rider, felt they needed to do something to help the people of Ukraine. They traveled to Poland, volunteered transporting people fleeing the war to safety, and donated supplies to shelters and orphanages.
When they returned to their home in Calgary, they were looking for ways they could continue to help Ukrainians more long-term. About that time, Rebecca heard from one of her coworkers, a fellow pilot from Calgary-based airline WestJet. He’d collected 50 buddy passes, standby tickets that airline employees receive as a benefit, which he’d used to fly Ukrainians to Canada. The couple picked up where he left off and started a charity called Help From Canada.
Since then, Michael and Rebecca have received around 100 buddy passes donated by WestJet employees and have helped nearly 200 Ukrainians escape to North America. Recently, WestJet clamped down on the use of buddy passes for charitable efforts, so the future of Help From Canada is uncertain, but the couple has pledged to continue doing everything they can to help Ukrainians however they can for as long as is needed.
Source: CBC News