After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, eight-year-old Whistlerite Max Swayze came up to his mother, Victoria, to tell her that he wanted to help raise money for people in Ukraine.
Max’s idea was to use the money from the bottles that get recycled in their Cheakamus housing complex to help people in Ukraine.
"As soon as the war started, we took over the bottle recycling. We have separate bins in our housing complex that we asked people to just put separate recyclables in,” Victoria said.
“He started doing that, but then slowly it kind of grew.
Victoria's father, who is Ukrainian, also lives in Whistler, and began collecting bottles from his own townhouse complex, Victoria said.
"So Max started it, but then it slowly grew into something bigger and his friends joined it,” she said.
Max and his friends Matthew, Eddie and Momo all worked together to sort the bottles to bring them in. Momo’s father owns Nagomi Sushi, and saved many bottles from the local business to help the cause.
Max’s fundraising efforts have added up to more than $1,500, thanks to the bottle refunds and matching donations from friends and family.
The Swayze family has deep roots in Ukraine, as Max’s grandfather grew up in the country, and the family has many friends who are helping on the frontlines of the conflict.
Max’s donations have been sent to family friends in the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces across the country, from the capital Kyiv to Nikolaev and Odessa.
“We alternate and send money to them periodically, and then we just tell them to spend it on whatever is needed," Victoria said.
"The Territorial Defence officers used it to buy bullets so they could practice target shooting, stuff like that. So whatever they see fit at that time, they use the money for, but it's good for us to know that it goes directly to the frontlines."
After sending his donations to Ukraine one day, Max got a package from Kyiv. To his surprise, it was a medal from the Territorial Defence officers.
“It was so inspiring. He was so moved. We were also moved by the fact that somebody who is in the middle of war took the time to recognize their efforts. So it's his prized possession that just sits on his bedside table. He loves it, and it just inspired more and more kids to join in," Victoria said.
“It was awesome to get that, for him to get recognized. I think it's one of those things that will keep them going. Seeing that they make a difference with such little actions.”
Victoria hopes Max’s efforts can inspire other kids in Whistler and across Canada to do community work for whatever is important to them.
“As Max's teacher, Mrs. Winters, said, 'kindness is contagious,' and this is a great example of it. I just love doing it with them.”
