Donation drive in Fort Lee collects tens of thousands of items for Ukraine
FORT LEE, N.J. -- An effort in New Jersey to help Ukraine has grown exponentially in a matter of days with people from all over the country pitching in.
It was all started by the father of well-known professional dancers.
Sasha Chmerkovskiy walked CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis through the vacant store that he transformed overnight into a warehouse of sorts.
"It's day number four only. We already have thousand of boxes ready to be shipped," he said.
His donation drive is called Baranova 27, named after the address in Ukraine where he grew up and raised his sons, Maks and Val, before they came here in 1994.
Maks and Val are now professional dancers, and Chmerkovskiy has opened dance studios, including one in Fort Lee, near where Baranova 27's efforts are underway.
"I cannot fight ... but I feel a lot of energy and need to help people out," Chmerkovskiy said.
Maks was overseas when Russia invaded Ukraine and documented the devastation on his Instagram.
"Just a lot of fighting everywhere," he said in one video.
"It's heartbreaking," Chmerkovskiy said.
Turning pain into purpose, he created an Amazon wish list of items needed in Ukraine.
The response has been overwhelming. One truck after another dropped off donated goods -- 40,000 and counting.
"So many donations that on the other side is our storage facility where there's about 85-90 full palettes waiting to get shipped to Ukraine," Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich said.
Chmerkovskiy says he's being allowed to use the space free of charge, and it all wouldn't be possible without the dozens of volunteers, strangers, who show up daily.
Among them is Vlad Yarosh, whose family is in a bomb shelter in Ukraine.
"I think we're only their hope right now," he said.
"I need to take my hat out to people in Fort Lee ... That's unity, solidarity, humanity," Chmerkovskiy said. "If there is a will, there is always a way."
Chmerkovskiy says he's been communicating with people in Ukraine and the most important supplies they need are first aid items.
They already shipped 200 boxes to Ukraine, but all the remaining packages need to get there, which comes with a cost. So the next step is collecting donations. They're also calling on shipping companies to help.
For more information, visit instagram.com/baranova27.