The USD Women’s Tennis plays role in saving a Ukrainian family
Victoria Kalaitzis and Coach Sherri Stephens discuss how USD can help
ABIGAIL CAVIZO / ASST. A&C EDITOR / THE USD VISTA
The crisis between Russia and Ukraine is over 6,000 miles away from San Diego, meaning many can choose not to keep up with it and go about their day. However, some people forget that the USD community has many international students who may be more impacted by this war than others. Belgian sophomore on the USD Women’s Tennis team, Victoria Kalaitzis, has a personal connection to the war. Her brother, Fabrice Kalaitzis, rescued a family on the border of Ukraine.
When he first heard the news about people standing at the border with no food and resources, three other friends or Fabrice took three cars of supplies from Belgium to the Ukrainian border. Upon seeing the people standing in the freezing cold for over 24 hours just to cross the border, he and his friends came to the conclusion that giving supplies wouldn’t be enough. They picked up two mothers and four young children, deciding to drive another ten hours to house them in a safe haven in Germany. The children and women have priority at these safe houses with access to clothes, food, and other toys for the children.
Although he was able to make the 15 hour trek with them, it was not without difficulty. The mothers’ husbands and older sons had to be left behind to fight for Ukraine and there was a language barrier with Fabrice speaking Dutch and English, whilst the family didn’t speak either.
Victoria Kalaitzis empathized with how the family might have felt when they first met her brother, Fabrice.
“In the end, they just drove off with an unknown man. They didn’t know if my brother had good intentions or not, but communication wise it was really hard for him to talk to them,” Kalaitzis explained. “The only thing he knew is that they had to leave their sons behind.”
Kalaitzis talks to her brother often and when she heard about his personal experience, it inspired her to reach out to her team and coaches for support. When the women’s tennis team plays their matches, they have a jar at the tennis courts labeled for Ukraine. Women’s tennis coach Sherri Stephens has been gathering money through her Venmo that she will send to Fabrice. Together, the tennis team has collected $4000 out of their $5000 goal.
Stephens is proud of her athletes for coming together to support their teammate, Victoria.
“Our tennis team has a lot of international members with a couple Russian connections and a couple Ukrainian connections, so having that connection [to Victoria] helps it feel more personal so that we can at least help someone,” Stephens said.
Fabrice explained to them that the family’s salary is around $300 a month, so the money that the tennis team is raising is meant to help them get started again. When they get back home, the goal is for them to have three months worth of their salary. Fabrice initially thought this would be a one-off rescue mission, but with more money and more supplies, there’s a chance he can go back for a second time to continue to help other families.
Kalaitzis had mixed emotions about her brother’s trip to Ukraine.
“At first, it was a little bit scary thinking about my brother going to Ukraine, but I was glad we could help them as a team,” Kalaitzis said. “The news covers so many things, political things as well, but we’re just here to help.”
Even if you cannot give money or resources, Kalaitzis believes that USD students and Americans in general can still give their support to Ukrainians. The war is not something that innocent people have asked to be a part of. The tennis team, as well as Fabrice, believes they do not deserve to endure the hardships of losing their homes, lives, and even families.
“I think the first important thing to do is realizing that we’re really lucky to be here and not living the lives they have to live right now or going through what they are going through right now,” Kalaitzis said. “For our team, it was really important for us to realize that.”
For those who wish to help out the tennis team and Fabrice, sending money to Venmo @Sherri-Stephens-11 is a great way to help a family that has been impacted. Supplying resources is another way to help. After standing in the cold and having to quickly pack their items, they are in need of feminine products (tampons, pads), baby materials (baby wipes, diapers), and clothes. The tennis team is accepting donations that can be brought to the courts during their matches. Fabrice set an example for the women’s tennis team. Although he is geographically closer to Ukraine than USD is, USD community members have the capacity to help across different sides of the world.
