The Family of Rotary is much more than the name of a committee. Much more. It’s a thread and bond running through Rotary. In the last 10 days, it stretched from the Rotary Club of Farragut and Webb School to Ukraine, the Czech Republic and on to Slovakia, helping a former Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) student leave Kiev to find safety for herself and two children in Slovakia.
In 2007-2008, the Farragut club hosted a young Rotary Youth Exchange student from Kiev, Ukraine – Julie Sergyeyeva Tryukhan. She was part of two host families here for a year and a very active student at Webb School. Not long after Russia invaded her country, Bill Nichols, a RCF member and major piece of District 6780’s RYE program, began trying to contact her to see if she was okay.
This effort included Liz Gregor, director of the Webb School International Center, former RYE students (all now adults of course) – Amanda Rowcliffe who today teaches at Webb, Ivana Sabaka, now living in the Czech Republic – along with her father Juraj, who is very active in the Rotary Club of Zilina in Slovakia. Former RCF member Linda Bellich, who spent many years working with the club’s RYE students, got this all started with phone calls and emails.
Former Rotary Youth Exchange student Julie Sergyeyeva Tryukhan and her two children are safe with Rotary friends in Slovakia .
Julie wanted to get herself and her two small children (ages 1 and 3) out of Ukraine. She had made it to Uzhhorod (Ukrainian city at the border) waiting for documents. Her husband was left behind in the Ukranian Army.
The emails were flying across 4,000 miles to East Tennessee and within Europe. Ivana contacted her father, a Slovakian Rotarian, who shares with us (via email) what happened next and since.
“I picked them at the Ukrainian border on Friday and moved them to Zilina, where my wife and I live. They crossed the border on foot, with Julia’s mother. The first two nights in Zilina they stayed in our house. During that time, we arranged to rent a flat for them and last Sunday we moved them to the flat.
“Yesterday, I picked up Julia’s friend with family (9-month-old baby, a 5-year-old and 15-year-old sister) at the border and moved them to Zilina as well. They are staying together with Julia in the flat. They are safe and I believe that they are relatively happy. Of course, they are still very worried about their husbands,” he wrote.
Juraj says that other Zilina Rotarians are also stepping in to help them and other refugees. To date Slovakia has taken in more than 250,000 refugees.
Nichols has been emailing with Julie and her reply is proof that the Family of Rotary works – no matter where! Her two host families here, the Whitehursts and Vogels, have been in touch as well. They have offered to take her family in if they can get to America.
Here is what she wrote to Bill: “First of all, I would like to thank Ivana and her parents. I feel like God sent these people to me, otherwise, I cannot explain how I got so lucky. They were kind enough to let us stay at their house. They found out that my daughter didn’t get to celebrate her first birthday, because we had to flee from Kyiv. They made her a cake and brought presents for both my babies, which brought me to tears. Juraj has done so much for us that no words can describe how grateful my family is. And will forever be.”
Then she talked about the Rotary family.
“Another big thank you goes to the Rotary clubs. When I realized that we would be getting help from the Rotarians, I knew that same second that my family would be safe, and I could trust everyone involved. I am so happy I got to be a part of the Rotary family. And I want to thank Amanda, Liz and Linda for all the support. It means so much to me and my family!”
Her next comment addressed the reality of their situation:
“We’re finally safe. We’re not afraid to fall asleep. We moved to a very nice apartment. We get to hear music on the radio, go shopping and go to a grocery store where the shelves are not empty. Life is getting back to normal again (in some ways).
“I’m worried sick about my husband and all my friends who are still in Ukraine. But I know that we have to stay strong for them, continue working and find ways to help Ukraine. We stay in touch with him, which I’m very thankful for. But it breaks my heart seeing how much my older son misses him.”
After leaving Knoxville, Julie finished high school and earned a degree in marketing from International Christian University in Kyiv. For almost 13 years she has worked for the Ukrainian IT Company in human resources and recruiting. She continues work remotely even during the war, she says.
The RCF is in the process of having members donate to the Rotary Club of Farragut Foundation, a 501(c)(3), to send to the Rotary club in Slovakia. Also, the Webb School Interact Club is sending them $1,000.
The Family of Rotary is a big family … and a caring one!
To explore membership in the Rotary Club of Farragut, call 865-659-3562. Farragut Rotary meets each Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. at Fox Den Country Club.