Do not stop for a moment. How Akvelon raised funds for a drone for the "Kholodnyi Yar"

16 January 2024 y.

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Akvelon established a charitable foundation to assist the military and paramedics. Since March 2022, the foundation has spent $656,302 on various needs. Recently, the organization received a request from the 93rd brigade, "Kholodnyi Yar," for a quadcopter. The cost of such a device is over 100,000 hryvnias. The request came just before the Christmas and New Year holidays, inspiring the company to undertake a charitable auction to raise the necessary funds. Additionally, it seemed like a great opportunity to gather everyone together online, which is quite challenging during wartime. Thus, the company organized events urging colleagues to participate in the auction and offer their items. Akvelon employees proved to be very active, contributing almost until the last day, and all the lots were exciting and unconventional.

"I once again realized how talented our employees are, what fascinating interests and initiatives they have, and they are ready to share them. And, of course, they are all incredible patriots," said HR Director Victoria Posokhova about the preparation.

Among the lots were many handmade items: eco bags, paintings, handmade toys, and a uniquely designed notebook. There were also military and patriotic attributes, training sessions on investing from employees, interpretation of history, and managing a LinkedIn page, books, and unusual souvenirs.

"Colleagues offered exciting and diverse things for sale. We didn't know all the lots in advance, which made the auction even more intriguing. I wanted to buy everything. There were also tasty lots, like cake or marshmallow. There were lots from collectors, such as coins or postcards - very original," - HR manager Anastasia Voronina shared her impressions.

The most expensive lot was a Ukrainian flag with signatures from the "Kholodnyi Yar" brigade, which was successfully sold for 50,000 hryvnias. The second place went to a lot from the company - “The History of Ukraine” by Hrushevsky, which was appreciated at 25,000 hryvnias. The third place, among the most expensive lots, went to a notebook with the emblem of Ukraine (15,000 hryvnias). The auctions were active and sometimes turned into battles with unexpected endings.

"The atmosphere was simply incredible. The participants were very proactive; the auctions were intense, with a sense of 'I will go to the end.' It was also touching that everything that emphasized our uniqueness and national identity was valued the most and attracted the greatest interest among the participants," said PR manager Natalia Borska.

The total amount raised by the company was 165,467 hryvnias, significantly more than needed. Therefore, in addition to the quadcopter, Akvelon will purchase a Starlink and tires at the military's request.

About Akvelon

Akvelon is an international software engineering company focused on enabling software-centric companies to deliver on their engineering and business commitments by offering a comprehensive suite of software engineering and project management services that spans across technologies including AI and machine learning, application development, data analysis, digital transformation, and more. It has its headquarters in Washington and 15 offices in different countries, including Ukraine.