HELP UKRAINIANS ALEX AND TANYA MOVE TO CANADA

I would be grateful for your assistance in helping my dear friends Alex and Tanya Skorokhod, and their teenage children, Dmytro, who is 16, and Anastasiia, who is 13, move to Canada.

I first met Alex in 2001 when he came to Canada to play hockey for the Mississauga IceDogs, and then the London Knights, of the Ontario Hockey League. Alex came here as an 18-year-old defenceman who barely spoke English, and left Canada in 2003 as a beloved member of the Whiffen family!

Our families have been forever linked since then. In fact, my Mom, Dad, and I have all visited the Skorokhods in Ukraine, and enjoyed their hospitality and continued friendship. Alex is married to his high school sweetheart, Tanya, and have two wonderful children.

For the past twenty years, Alex has played and coached professional hockey in Kyiv, Ukraine, until February 24, 2022, when they were forced to leave their home, and most of their personal belongings behind, as a result of the Russian invasion.

For ten months, Alex was separated from Tanya and the kids -- but they have now been reunited in Bucharest, Romania, where they will stay until they arrive in Canada on May 22, 2023.

Given that they are effectively starting over, they would be grateful to receive any financial help to assist them in renting an apartment, buying a car, purchasing food and clothing, paying for school supplies, and learning English, as they get established in their new country.

Thank you for considering my request, and we appreciate your support as we integrate this beautiful family into Canada.

Patrice Whiffen