For over three years now, I have wanted very much to visit Ukraine, to offer moral support and share some songs with the brave people there. Given the current situation, it has been difficult to make the necessary connections for this venture - until I found...

Ta-Da!... MONDAY SHANTY; "vocal band" (read: 'Shanty Group'), in Kyiv. I am well aware that there are shanty groups even farther from the sea, in North America; but this was exciting. To then speak with Andrew Yakovenko - the instigator of the group - and find that he was already aware of me, AND some of my songs, was, literally, thrilling!

Andrew; and the other driving-force of Monday Shanty: Tonya Vinnyk (singer and international choir organizer); have agreed to assist me with my quest; so we are planning a 10-day venture to Ukraine early in November. We plan to visit pubs, cafes, schools, hospitals, concert venues, even bomb-shelters.

We hope to meet people, sing with them, share a small slice of their lives; and impress on them our sincere and abiding thanks for their commitment, and for the suffering they are enduring whilst being - what I perceive as - a bulwark for the defense of western, democratic civilization.

At this juncture, we suddenly got a wonderful boost! When we mentioned the concept to our old friend Janie Meneely, her husband: Rob van Sante (lately of THE BATTLEFIELD BAND); was enthused enough to want a seat in the boat, immediately offering his support and his amazing guitar and vocal talents. It would have been stupid to turn down an offer like that... so we didn't. Rob is not only a technical wizard, but a guitar virtuoso and captivating singer. Janie: from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay area; is a talented performer; and originator of her own nautically-based spoken and sung vignettes. The two of them will add much appreciated heft and harmonies to this project and, like us, will be personally covering all their own costs.

Along the way we hope to raise voices, morale, plus some money for Ukrainian charities helping those suffering from the war. There are copious numbers of organizations in Ukraine; all deserving of support. Selecting just a couple of these has been problematic, but we've settled on two...

The BIG FAMILY shelter, in Kharkiv, takes in destitute, elderly, disabled people,seeking refuge from the strife; and... The ZHERELO SPECIAL SCHOOL, for children with Down Syndrome, deafness, or mobility impairment; missing a parent - usually the father - dead or in the army.

If you would care to support our small endeavour, sharing this post with as many of your friends and contacts as possible would be a huge help. If you are in a position to help financially, we would ask that you send your donations directly to either of our chosen charities by clicking on (one or both of) the links above, and scrolling down each page to find the donate button.

Very many thanks, Tom, Lyn, Janie and Rob.