Vova Pluzhnikov is a Ukrainian citizen who moved to Prince George in 2016 to play basketball for the UNBC Timberwolves.

On March 8, 2022, Vova organized the highly successful RUN FOR UKRAINE fundraiser. This event brought the community of Prince George together to run 44 Kilometres as a tribute to the 44 million Ukrainian citizens facing war and times of uncertainty.

The event raised more than $76,500 for the Red Cross relief mission, helping an estimated 10 million Ukrainians displaced by the war.

Prior to coming to Canada, Vova played professional basketball in the Ukraine and studied at Kharkiv University. Vova graduated from the University of Northern British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and currently works in the finance industry with the Royal Bank of Canada.

If you would like to support Vova’s fundraising efforts for Ukraine, please visit https://bit.ly/SupportVova

Special thank you to Rich Abney and UNBC Athletics for the RUN FOR UKRAINE video at the end of this podcast interview.