Students and faculty gathered at the UMass Dartmouth track on Saturday, March 26 to show their support and raise money for the people of Ukraine with a five-mile walk-a-thon.

The fundraiser was organized by the university’s Leduc Center for Civic Engagement in conjunction with MASSPIRG, the Massachusetts branch of the Public Interest Research Groups, a national public-interest advocacy organization.

Taonga Horace, the Coordinator for Hunger and Homelessness at MASSPIRG, said that the groups hoped to raise about $1,500 from the event that will help provide food, shelter, and medicine for the people of Ukraine. By the start of the walk-a-thon, they were only $38 away from reaching their goal.

“So, we’ll reach it in a few minutes, I’m sure,” said Horace.

The money will be distributed via United Way, an international nonprofit network.

Kuro Andengattil, an Indian international student who has family and friends in Ukraine, spoke at the event to emphasize the importance of showing solidarity with the people there as they stand up in defiance to one of the world's military superpowers.

“It is a difficult time for all Ukrainians and people around the world,” he said. “This affects all of us.”

Andengattil said that since the beginning of the invasion, he has been doing his best to document and recirculate information he finds about the war, transitioning his personal Instagram account, @gattillynx, from an artist page to a conflict blog.

But recently, he said his page was discovered by pro-Russian hackers and mass-reported, causing him to be locked out until Instagram can verify his identity.

“But I’m still doing stuff behind the scenes,” he said.

In all, 24 walkers registered for the event with 31 individuals pledging donations.