Over $30,000 US coins have been collected for Ukraine relief from one airport's Terminal 4 - and that airport is New York City's John F Kennedy International Airport. The public-private partnership just cut a check for the Ukrainian charity Razom.Razom means "together" in Ukrainian, and since the 2014 Raidan movement to start to free Ukraine from Russia's undue influence, Razom has been building democratic capacity and more. With Russia's 2022 War on Ukraine, Razom is doing everything from a toy drive to evacuating children with disabilities and their families from at-risk areas and so much more.

JFKIAT's 4Good Program

The JFK International Air Terminal runs a philanthropic and sustainability program that raises around $100,000 for charities, according to its 4Good Program. The charities supported include efforts to place youth in aviation jobs, such as T4 Aviation Day and the annual Women in Aviation Day, created by partnering with Vaughn College in Queens, New York.

Other charities supported include not just Razom but also The American Cancer Society, the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Safe Haven: A Safe Place for Babies.

For Roel Huinink, President and CEO of JFKIAT, supporting Razom was a natural response to Russia's war on Ukraine:

“We are devastated by this war and the detrimental impact it has been having on millions of people in Ukraine. We stand with the people of Ukraine, and we hope this donation will help to provide relief and support.”

The work of Razom

The work of Razom aligns well with these goals. Among other good works Razom has done since the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been to evacuate children with disabilities and their families from at-risk areas and, according to the Razom website, "Provided more than 200 tons of tactical medicine, hospital supplies, and medicines, and communication devices that get delivered by our volunteers and partners throughout Ukraine." Razom claims to be generating more than 50 pallets of aid per week for Ukraine.

According to Razom, making it to Ukraine are various pieces of medical equipment, including dozens of special orthopedic trauma kits. These include orthopedic external fixators of various types and tools and screws to be used by orthopedic and trauma surgeons when they perform urgent surgeries on the wounded.

Razom also has been holding rallies to show solidarity with Ukraine.

Razom gratitude

Dora Chomiak, President of Razom for Ukraine, wants to thank everyone involved;

An enormous thank you goes out to all of our donors, large and small, and especially to the JFKIAT team, for supporting Razom’s work and allowing our projects to scale with greater impact. Know that you are part of a community of people from all over the world who have stepped up to the challenge and are helping Ukraine in incredible ways, using the tools, resources, time, and skills that they have to fundraise for Razom and support Ukraine. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Do you think airports are a good place to raise funds for charity? Why or why not? Please share in the comments.