LONG RIVER, P.E.I. - Islander Randy Garrett is back home after driving roughly 2,600 kilometres across Europe to deliver a four-wheel drive vehicle destined for Ukraine’s front lines. Garrett was one of three Canadians who joined volunteers from around the world for a recent Jeeps for Peace mission. The group has delivered about 800 4x4s, pickup trucks and ambulances to Ukraine. The vehicles are modified for military units, then used to evacuate civilians in danger, retrieve wounded soldiers and transport food and medicine. “It was tiring, but it was worth it,” Garrett said, sitting at the dining room table of his sunny home, nestled in the rolling hills of Long River. “You had such a sense of purpose.” He took part in the organization’s 18th convoy, setting out from Edinburgh, Scotland, with about 55 others. Their route included an overnight ferry crossing of the North Sea, followed by a drive through the Netherlands, Germany and Poland to the Ukrainian border. Locals helped the group navigate the crossing with 36 vehicles, packed with children’s books, clothing, food and other supplies. When time allows, the missions also include visits to schools, hospitals, churches, cemeteries and memorials, as well as meetings with Ukrainian military personnel and orphanage staff. Garrett recalled the warmth of the welcome that waited for them. “I was very proud to be a Canadian because when they found out you’re a Canadian, they just hug you twice,” he said. More than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war of attrition grinds on. In one of Moscow’s latest deadly barrages, Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and a dozen other Ukrainian regions overnight Oct. 7. The attacks killed at least 25 civilians, including five children, and wounded about 100 people, Ukrainian officials said. “I think it’s very important that people don’t forget about Ukraine and do what they can,” Garrett said. “And this was my way of doing something that I could.” Volunteers pay their own way, covering flights, fuel and hotels. But Garrett said his community stepped up to help, surprising him with $1,300 tucked inside a card full of well wishes after learning about his plans. Jeeps for Peace and individual volunteers also organize crowdfunding campaigns to support the work. Some vehicles are donated, and their owners often join the convoys. Garrett shared the story of a Ukrainian woman named Alla, who lost both her home and summer home to the war, and whose husband was killed in combat. She has driven more than 90 vehicles to Ukraine to support its troops. The next mission is already underway as Jeeps for Peace works toward its goal of delivering 1,000 vehicles. “Would I do it again? I would,” Garrett said.
