North Port residents rally on four-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Dozens of people lined up along US-41 on Tuesday, Ukrainian and American flags waving in the breeze. Four years since Russia first attacked Ukraine, and the pain hasn’t faded for this community; if anything, it cuts deeper.
Car horns echo down the street, but the noise means more than just support. For many peaceful protestors, every honk carries a plea, a voice of support that tries to reach across the ocean.
Kids, parents, grandparents, everyone showed up. Some have family still in Ukraine, and you can see the worry etched on their faces. The fear’s real. Four years in, the war is still personal for so many in North Port. Every day, they carry the weight of it.
There are many current residents who grew up in Ukraine. They now live in North Port, but their hearts remain divided between two worlds. The distance doesn’t soften the blow. If anything, it stings more.
For Ukrainians in North Port, the war shapes their routines. They wake up, check on family, hope for good news, and brace for the worst. It’s become their normal: anxious phone calls, texts filled with hope and fear, prayers for safety.
Some people feel helpless, stuck on the sidelines. Others have turned their pain into action. Since the invasion began, many haven’t stopped sending supplies, collecting donations, or doing anything they can for people back home.
For every box they send, every dollar raised, every prayer whispered, they believe it’s a lifeline. It’s a promise they won’t let go of Ukraine, no matter how far away they are.
