A Colgate, Wisconsin, couple left for Europe earlier this week.Chris and Carol Mastronardo are sponsoring buses in Italy to go pick up refugees at the Ukraine-Poland border.The two raised enough money so far to sponsor five buses to make the trip.WISN 12 spoke with the pair Thursday afternoon via video call. They were at a rest stop on their way back to Italy, accompanied by nearly 40 refugees.”Words don’t describe it,” Carol said. “You can’t understand how these people just took what they could in their hands and basically fled, and now we’re in very foreign territory for them.”The Mastronardos traveled with medicine, hygiene products and stuffed animals for the kids. They said they’re trying to care for them as best they can during the 18-hour drive back to Milan, Italy.”We’re making stops along the way, the first stop was McDonald’s, we bought them lunch,” Carol and Chris said.Once in Italy, local charities will step in to help find temporary housing. The Mastronardos are also donating money raised to those charities.They said it’s been an emotional ride.”It’s so sad, you’ll see them sitting on the bus and then suddenly crying,” Carol said.”They broke out one time into a big prayer when the bus took off, I didn’t know what they were saying because it was Ukrainian and then at the end of the prayer they all started singing,” Chris said. “It brought tears to our eyes. I think it was the national anthem for Ukraine.”There are translators on board, and some use Google Translate to help further.”The stories are unbelievable,” Carol told WISN 12.One story, in particular, stuck out.Olek, a teenager, is making the journey alone. His parents are still in Ukraine.The Mastronardos ate lunch with him. Carol said it’s emotional to think about what he’s been through.Olek shared a message via Google Translate. It read, “Don’t cry, everything will be fine, we will defeat the invaders, because we are stronger.”More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled since Russia invaded.
A Colgate, Wisconsin, couple left for Europe earlier this week.
Chris and Carol Mastronardo are sponsoring buses in Italy to go pick up refugees at the Ukraine-Poland border.
The two raised enough money so far to sponsor five buses to make the trip.
WISN 12 spoke with the pair Thursday afternoon via video call.
They were at a rest stop on their way back to Italy, accompanied by nearly 40 refugees.
“Words don’t describe it,” Carol said. “You can’t understand how these people just took what they could in their hands and basically fled, and now we’re in very foreign territory for them.”
The Mastronardos traveled with medicine, hygiene products and stuffed animals for the kids.
They said they’re trying to care for them as best they can during the 18-hour drive back to Milan, Italy.
“We’re making stops along the way, the first stop was McDonald’s, we bought them lunch,” Carol and Chris said.
Once in Italy, local charities will step in to help find temporary housing.
The Mastronardos are also donating money raised to those charities.
They said it’s been an emotional ride.
“It’s so sad, you’ll see them sitting on the bus and then suddenly crying,” Carol said.
“They broke out one time into a big prayer when the bus took off, I didn’t know what they were saying because it was Ukrainian and then at the end of the prayer they all started singing,” Chris said. “It brought tears to our eyes. I think it was the national anthem for Ukraine.”
There are translators on board, and some use Google Translate to help further.
“The stories are unbelievable,” Carol told WISN 12.
One story, in particular, stuck out.
Olek, a teenager, is making the journey alone. His parents are still in Ukraine.
The Mastronardos ate lunch with him. Carol said it’s emotional to think about what he’s been through.
Olek shared a message via Google Translate.
It read, “Don’t cry, everything will be fine, we will defeat the invaders, because we are stronger.”
More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled since Russia invaded.
