by Everyone has a cause that speaks to them. For us, it’s supporting Ukraine and our friends still affected by this unjust war. We help however we can—within our time and budget. Most recently, we got a call from our friend Ed, who started the NGO “Ed’s Friends” after the invasion began. He needed someone to help him drive a truck full of medical supplies from Milwaukee to Dallas, where it would be prepped for shipment to Ukraine. We had the time, so we flew to Milwaukee the next day.
From the airport, we went straight to Budget Truck Rentals, then to a storage facility where we met Kurt—who helped us load $1 million worth of endoscopic surgical towers into the truck in the wind and rain until 9 PM. Afterward, we met Dr. Peter Nichol, whose wife had packed us a delicious gourmet dinner to kick off the journey.
The road trip took us through Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas to Texas. We made it fun—roadside eats, my first Buc-ee’s, and nostalgic motels that reminded us of our grandparents. When we arrived in Dallas, a team of volunteers greeted us and helped unload the supplies after our long (but fun) 2 days.
The next day, on Easter weekend, we had an unexpected visit from Ambassador Gregory W. Slayton, who gifted us his book Portraits of Ukraine: A Nation at War. It was a powerful reminder of why this mission matters—to help those on the front-lines of the fight for freedom and democracy. A huge thank you to Mr. Slayton for taking the time to have lunch with us, it was an inspirational meeting!
What did I learn? Every little action counts. This effort only worked because of many people doing their part to create on big ripple. We were rewarded not just by doing good, but also by seeing America’s heartland and being surprised by kindness along the way. So don’t stop showing up for others—you never know the ripple effect you might start.
We’d love to hear what causes matter to you. Share your story in the comments or tag us on social with #RipplesWeSpread—let’s inspire each other!
