A New Initiative Born at the Stand with Ukraine Weekly Gathering in Kamloops
Saturday, February 14, 2026, Kamloops, British Columbia
Today, something powerful took shape at our weekly Stand with Ukraine gathering in Kamloops, a city that has stood in solidarity with Ukraine every single Saturday for nearly four years.
It began earlier in the day, during my very first Ukrainian class, where Father Andrzej and I created three Helmets of Memories, helmets adorned with photographs and names of those whose lives have been stolen by Russia’s war against Ukraine. I brought the helmets, along with an Olympic flag, to our weekly gathering at City Hall.
When I arrived, I discovered that Michelle, one of the most incredibly creative people in our community, had been thinking along the very same lines. She had printed stories from the Angels of Sport website, accounts of young Ukrainian athletes, children, whose lives and dreams were destroyed by Russia. Michelle’s dedication to making our weekly gatherings not only acts of solidarity but also moments of education and awareness is a gift to everyone who passes by.
When Michelle and I realized we had arrived at the same place independently, that remembrance must be visible, that it must be shared, the moment was electric. We looked at each other and understood: Remembrance is not a violation. It is an obligation.
The helmets sat among the flags and signs, bearing the faces of real people. The stories Michelle printed gave those faces voices. The Olympic flag reminded all of us that these were children who ran, swam, competed, and dreamed, children whose sport could not shield them from Russian missiles and bombs.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to Vladyslav Heraskevych, the Ukrainian skeleton athlete whose courage brought the Memory Helmet to the world stage at the Olympic Games. His strength and conviction, his refusal to let the world forget, inspired us more than he may ever know. It was thanks to his initiative that we discovered the Angels of Sport website, which tells the stories of Ukrainian athletes killed by russia’s war. Because of Vladyslav, we found a new and powerful way to remember, and today, in Kamloops, his act of remembrance rippled outward and gave birth to our own Helmets of Memories.
This is what nearly four years of standing together has taught us: everyone who shows up brings their own gifts. One person brings a flag. Another brings a candle. Michelle brings her creativity and research. Father Andrzej brings his faith and his hands. I bring my torch and my voice. Only together, only by combining what each of us carries, have we been able to stand at this corner every single week since February 24, 2022.
An Invitation to the World: Global Rally — Saturday, February 21, 2026
Next Saturday marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Communities around the world will rally in solidarity, and Kamloops will stand among them.
We are inviting everyone, in Kamloops and beyond, to create and bring your own Helmets of Memories. Place on them the photographs and names of victims of russia’s war against Ukraine. Carry them with you as a visible act of remembrance.
At our gathering, I will bring my torch, and we will hold a sharing circle, a space to speak the names of those who have been lost, to honour their memory, and to reaffirm that we will not look away.
All are welcome.
City Hall, Kamloops, BC
Saturday, February 21 at 3:00 PM
Come as you are. Bring what you carry. Stand with Ukraine.
Every helmet tells a story. Every story deserves to be remembered.
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