Ukrainian War Veterans to Bike Across Canada for Peace

VANCOUVER, June 19, 2018

For immediate release

On June 13, 2018 a team of Ukrainian cyclists marked the 2,500th km of its 10,000 km transcontinental cycling tour by entering Canada in Vancouver BC. The team of 8 war veterans and volunteers called “Chumak Way – cycle U.S. & Canada for Peace” cycles 100-200 km per day from Pasific to Atlantic to raise awareness about the need for peace in Ukraine and in other places where civilians are currently under military attack.

VIDEO: https://drive.google.com/open… 
(Touring footage: upon request)
1. Wayne Stetski, Member of Canadian Parliament for Kooteney – Columbia, co-chair of the All Party Cycling Caucus
2. Andriy Shevchenko, ambassador of Ukraine to Canada

ITITNERARY: https://drive.google.com/open…

PHOTOS: https://drive.google.com/open…

“Chumak Way team have cycled 2,500 km through California, Oregon and Washington states. We have met many people, among them Ukrainians who became successful and are contributing to their local communities because they live in peace. Ukraine and other countries under attack need peace to become equal contributors to the World”, says Chumak Way team leader and by Eastern Ukraine war veteran Kostiantyn Samchuk.

From Vancouver Chumak Way team will cycle the rest 7,500 km of its tour through the Rocky Mountains, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, London, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa and Montreal. Chumak Way - cycle U.S. & Canada for Peace” started in Los Angeles on May 23 and will end August 29 in Washington DC. The team of 10 people will travel some 10,000 km through 435 cities towns of the US and Canada.

The cyclists encourage civil society groups, veterans’ organizations, activists and other cyclists to join the tour at any point by contacting them at [email protected].

Chumak Way cycling tour is organized by non-profit Proidysvit.org led by Kostiantyn Samchuk in cooperation with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and other local communities. Chumak Way accepts donations to help families and orphans affected by war in Eastern Ukraine.

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Further information:
Anna Dombrovska
Public Relations, USA & Canada
Chumak Way - Cycling U.S. & Canada for Peace
[email protected]
+1 (613) 219 1865

#ChumakWay2018 #BikeForPeace

Web-site: proidysvit.org
Twitter: @ChumakWay2018 
Facebook: /ChumakWayAmerica
YouTube: /chumakwayamerica
Instagram: /ChumakWay2018
Strava: /ChumakWayAmerica

Detailed route map and tracking: https://bit.ly/2jkhaIZ 
Events dates and details: https://bit.ly/2HExbnt 
Online donations: https://bit.ly/2KHSwOD

BACKGROUNDER

In perspective, to better understand Ukraine in context, to include Putin’s invasion and takeover of Crimea, persecution of Ukraine by rulers of Russia include:
• Tsarist laws forbidding the Ukrainian language and expressions of Ukraine’s culture, punishable by imprisonment and sometimes death (Valuyev Circular of 1863, EMS Ukaz of 1876)
• Stalin’s man-made famine of 1932-33 during which 7 million free Ukrainian farmers were starved to death. 
• Putin’s 2014 invasion of Eastern Ukraine and takeover of Crimea, has to date resulted in more than 10,000 deaths and millions of Ukrainian citizens being displaced.
Still, the Chumak Way Ukrainian cyclists are riding for Peace. Three of them are veterans of the current war in the Donbas coal regions of Eastern Ukraine.
After surviving two World Wars, Ukraine has been under attack of pro-Russian forces since 2014, soon after Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Russian aggression came as a reaction to the success of the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity (or EuroMaidan) when people of Ukraine revolted against the decision of corrupt government of Viktor Yanukovych not to sign cooperation agreement with the EU.
The Chumak Way cyclists took part in EuroMaidan revolution and were fighting at the frontline in Donbas. They witnessed real situation of the military conflict in Donbas and the shooting of peaceful protestors in Kyiv. Still, they believe in peaceful and prosperous future if their country and other countries that are under attack.
To demonstrate that Ukraine is moving forward despite the war, the Chumak Way team is bringing cycling innovations created in Ukraine such as longest range electric bike and super lightweight track bicycle. At the meetings organized in every majour city and town guests will have a chance to test drive the bikes, watch latest documentaries created by Ukrainian filmmakers, explore Ukraine as a travel destination, and talk to the cyclists about their cycling tour and cycling life.