West Sedona resident Mark Cary and his son Shane left for the Polish border on March 30 for a two-week trip to help provide supplies for the refugees leaving from the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
“I was looking into it and I said, all right, well, I can do humanitarian stuff that would be probably much more appropriate and probably more impactful,” Cary said. “So, I called my son, [who] lives in California … And I asked would [he] be willing to take a couple of weeks off from work and go with me to the Ukrainian border, either in Poland or Hungary, to help the refugees. And he said ‘absolutely.’”
Cary, who is 55-years old, is a retired Marine and Border Patrol Officer. Initially, he thought about joining Ukraine President Zelenskyy’s call for foreign fighters to help their cause. But, after further discussion with his family, Cary believed that helping provide support and supplies for those fleeing the Ukraine would be more beneficial.
After reaching out to multiple organizations helping with the crisis and hearing nothing in return, Cary and his son decided to raise their own funds to bring supplies to the camps and humanitarian relief spots already set up on the Poland-Ukraine border.
“I know everybody’s busy and it’s probably not the wisest or the best course of action to just show up and say, ‘hey, we’re here to help.’ But at this point, that’s what we’re doing,” Cary said.
As the vice-president for the Sedona Area Veterans Community Outreach [SAVCO], Cary raised donations through the organization’s partners, his family and friends, as well as his former Marine and Border Patrol units.
Altogether they have raised $11,500 for the trip to cover their travel expenses and supplies, such as medical gear, food, water, blankets and cots.
“It is truly an honor and privilege to be able to support Marine Corps Veteran and SAVCO Vice President Mark Cary and his son Shane on their noble mission to help Ukrainian refugees,” SAVCO member Andrew Moskoff said. “We are very proud of Mark and Shane and grateful for their service.”
Although his son is only 18, his father said he has been raising his kids to be the kind of people who help out in tough situations. And despite the expectation of seeing upsetting scenes at the border, Cary hopes his son sees the rewards of participating in serving these people.
“I have always tried to parent and lead by example,” Cary said. “I want to give him an opportunity to be of service and comfort to people who need it.”
Moskoff is continuing to collect donations even as the Carys are in Poland. His daughters, Grace and Tivona of the Kaleidoscope Redrocks are also raising money through their concerts at Vino Di Sedona.
So far the band has raised $458 for the cause at their last show on March 18. They will be playing on April 15 and 29 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. All of the donations at the concert will go directly to the Cary’s trip.
Other donations can also be mailed to SAVCO directly, with all the mailing information found on SAVCO’s website.
“I don’t feel like I can sit back and do nothing while people’s entire lives are being destroyed,” Cary said. “And if I can help someone and have an impact, I believe that is a way to help heal the world.”
