An Iowa man with deep ties to Ukraine is biking 678 miles, roughly the distance of the front line of the war, to raise awareness and money to help the victims of the ongoing conflict.
Starting on October 2, 2023, David Maximovich will bike from Independence, Iowa through dozens of towns and farming communities between the Twin Cities, Minn. and Des Moines, to raise money for the victims of the Ukrainian war. Mr. Maximovich works for International Literacy and Development, a non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas. He and his wife, Natalie, who is from the Twin Cities, along with their children, lived and worked in Ukraine and surrounding countries for nearly a decade providing health education, job training, and literacy classes for underserved populations in the region. He is a linguist, speaking Ukrainian and Russian, an Advanced EMT, and a chaplain. Since the outbreak of the war, David has made numerous trips to the region to provide first-aid training and supplies to civilians who want to help the wounded in their country.