Ukraine is in the seventh month of fighting a full-scale war with Russia. We are doing this hike to raise money to help Ukraine. My name is Andriy Holumbiyevskyy. I was born in Chernihiv, a city in the north of Ukraine. From the first days of the Russian invasion, Chernihiv and its region was used as the one of the main and quickest way for Ruscists to get to the capital Kyiv. Ukrainian armed forces and citizens have been there to hold off the enemy for one month, one week and one day. Chernihiv has paid a big price, with seventy percent of the city has been destroyed, including vital infrastructure. Thousands of civilians have been killed. My mates Michael Jessup, Mark Riddell and I are going to raise money to make this winter easier for the struggling people of Chernihiv who lost everything. We are going to walk from Bonegilla Migrant Centre to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko. Why we have chosen this particular route? It is because these two points on the map of Australia are connections to the past and present. Bonegilla became the largest refugee centre in Australia after WW2. More than 300 000 migrants passed through its doors between 1947 and 1971. Most of those originating from non-English speaking European countries. There were thousands from Ukraine. Many migrants saw Bonegilla as a place of hope, a place where from they could start a new life. Mount Kosciuszko was named by Polish explorer Edmund Strzelecki in 1890. It was named after a revolutionary figure of Poland, USA, France and Lithuania, Andrzej Kosciuszko. In United States he helped create a new nation. In his homeland Poland in the end of 18th century he led an uprising against Russia to liberate Poland. Through the connection with history of people who have been affected by war, without homes and needing hope; through the connection with a figure who was able to fight for freedom from oppression, for people many years later still escaping war and fighting for their independence, the route is a symbol of hope for freedom. With this hike we want not just raise money but also raise awareness. This war against the second biggest army in the world, led by a modern Moskow fascist regime, has not finished yet. The war for the independence of Ukraine and the stability of the whole world. If Ukraine loses, the world as we know, will never be the same. Michael Jessup is Australian and Mark Riddell was born in Scotland are not indifferent to the situation in Ukraine and have volunteered to support this cause by walking the distance with me on the 22nd of September 2022. We have chosen the walking route via Murray Valley Hwy/B400 and Alpine Way. Its about 215 km. The plan is to cover it in 6 to 7 days. That means that we have to walk around 30 to 35 km a day. We are going to carry our supplies in our packs and the hike will be unsupported. We are going to sleep rough under the stars. There will be one planned stop for resupply only, half way in Corryong. It will be the only time in the journey to resupply, rest and shower. This adventure is not going to be an easy walk in the park, but should be a good experience for a good cause. This path to the best of our knowledge has not been done before in this way.