Well, back in Erie safe and sound. LONG trip home (26 hours!) and a bit jet-lagged — but all good.
As you’ve probably seen from my posts, this was a successful and memorable trip.
The main events were:
1. Visiting the Chornomorets Soccer Stadium in Odesa
2. Helping launch the Allrise Girls Soccer School in Chornomorsk
3. Exchanging ceremonial keys with the Mayor of Chornomorsk
But there were many other moments worth noting:
We had great drives to and from Odesa with Mikhail and Melissa from Allrise. Got to know them better and look forward to doing more good together — in Ukraine and beyond.
The four of us grabbing Road Dogs—an LP tradition in Ukraine. YUMMY!!!
Even though I saw this on my last visit there, still amazes me that they sell this at gas stations along the highway 😳
We had dinner at a beautiful seaside hotel owned by friends of theirs — one of the port operators there. Four proud generations of their family in Odesa. Amazing food, even better company.
The seaside hotel
Melissa from Allrise before heading home from Chisinau. Fun companions.
Dinner looked scary but tasted pretty good!
Our dinner host Slava Kruk. Beautiful home. Lovely family. Great meal. And some music 🙂
We spent time with our friends at the Atlantic Council, who’ve been bringing people to Ukraine to see the truth for themselves and who remain stalwart supporters of Ukraine’s war effort. Solid friends. Solid people.
The group from Allrise and The Atlantic Council at the stadium
The Black Sea Security Conference was going on during our visit, and I had the chance to hear Mike Pompeo deliver closing remarks.
Former US Secretary of State, CIA Director Mike Pompeo closing out the Black Sea Security Forum
Irina Paliashvili of the U.S.–Ukraine Business Council — a longtime LP friend and ally — got us into a performance of the Odesa Symphony in their stunning concert hall. Afterward, she introduced us to her friend Hobart Earle — an American and the conductor of the Odesa Philharmonic.
The Odesa Symphony Orchestra—led by American-born conductor, Hobart Earle.
The beautiful Odesa Opera House
(Funny story: we almost didn’t get in. Two huge guards at the door, no English. I kept saying “Irina Paliashvili” hoping they’d let us in. A nearby staffer overheard and asked who we were. I said, “Logistics Plus,” and she lit up: “LOGISTICS PLUS??? Oh, PLEASE come in.” That felt good.)
And of course — we spent time with our people: Andriy, Sasha, Ole, and OD. Always the best part of any trip. Just hanging out, catching up, and letting them know that LP is behind them. Strong, brave, wonderful people.
Sasha proudly sporting the hockey shirts for the camps sponsored by Lilly Broadcasting, Vorex and LP
We took Sasha on this. She wasn’t happy. (But neither was Gordie 😝)
Special thanks to my buddy Gordie Naughton, the only guy I know crazy enough to say “Sure!” when I call a week before and ask if he wants to fly to Odesa. Gordie’s been a great friend, a great travel buddy — and an unsung hero in LP history. He played a key role in helping us win (and succeed big with) WeWork — a life-changing client for us.
Gordie helped make this trip special
But that’s a story for another day. 😉
Thanks again to everyone who helped make this trip special. A few more pics at the bottom of this blog.
Onward! (After a nap to fight off this jet lag 😄)
The Port of Odesa—you can see the damage done by Russian missiles
2 loudmouth ex truckdrivers 😊