American astronaut and former U.S. Navy captain Scott Joseph Kelly has joined the United24 fundraising platform. He will develop the "Medical aid" direction, and the first project will be fundraising for Type C ambulance vehicles. During an online meeting with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Scott Kelly discussed his ideas for supporting our country and developing United24.
“We are proud to have an ambassador like you, Scott. It is very important that famous people - not only stars, but also famous astronauts - join the platform. I am grateful that before becoming a United24 ambassador, you supported us, in particular on Twitter, and that you support Ukraine with real actions, helping our medical industry," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Scott Kelly is known not only for four flights into space and setting a record for a total stay in it for 520 days, 10 hours and 33 minutes. He also holds the record for continuous stay in orbit - 340 days in a row. The record-breaking astronaut holds the rank of captain in the U.S. Navy, as part of which he spent more than 3,500 hours in the sky on more than 30 types of aircraft and made more than 250 landings on an aircraft carrier.
Scott Kelly has supported Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in word and deed. Over this time, he has raised 500,000 U.S. dollars to help Ukrainians. He also became famous throughout the world for his apt sarcastic comments under the posts of officials and propagandists of the occupying country in social networks.
In addition to such an impressive track record, Scott Kelly has a medical background. This, according to the new ambassador, dictated his desire to raise money for ambulances.
"When I was young, I worked in emergency medical care and as an ambulance driver and saw with my own eyes how timely medical care can save people's lives. Later, when I was already an astronaut, I performed the role of crew medical officer. Ukrainian doctors today are real heroes who do miracles every day in incredibly difficult and dangerous conditions. I consider it my duty to support Ukraine, which is defending democracy from Russian aggression. I am also the first to make a monetary contribution of USD 65,000 for the purchase of an ambulance through President Zelenskyy's United24 platform. I really hope that freedom-loving people around the world will join me in this fundraising!” said the astronaut.
United24 is a fundraising platform initiated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the main platform for collecting donations in support of Ukraine. In more than five months of operation, more than USD 210 million from citizens of 110 countries have been raised through United24. Among the ambassadors of the platform are outstanding athletes Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolina and Oleksandr Usyk, creative director of Balenciaga Demna, American actors Liev Schreiber and Mark Hamill, band Imagine Dragons, singer and actress Barbra Streisand.