15 Mar Esmark Chairman James P. Bouchard & Martina Roda Donate $25,000 to Aid Ukrainian Refugees in Slovakia, Urge Others to Donate with Additional $25,000 Pledge
SEWICKLEY, Pa. – Esmark Inc. today announced that Chairman & CEO James P. Bouchard and Martina Roda have made an initial donation of $25,000 USD to aid and support Ukrainians seeking refuge in Košice, Slovakia. They will also match monetary donations made by Americans who support Ukrainian refugees up to an additional $25,000 USD.
Bouchard is a former U.S. Steel executive vice president and statutory representative of the Slovak Republic, transforming East Slovakian Ironworks, Košice–now known as U.S. Steel Košice–in Slovakia after U.S. Steel acquired it. Bouchard and Roda’s donation was made on behalf of the former U.S. Steel American and Slovak Commercial teams.
This initial donation was made directly to the City of Košice, a city led by Mayor Ing. Jaroslav Polaček, with whom Esmark, Bouchard and Roda have a long-standing relationship.
“Every day, Ukrainian civilians are arriving in Slovakia to seek shelter, food, safety, and kindness,” said Bouchard. “Providing resources to neighboring countries and cities—like Košice—enables them to help these innocent people during one of the darkest times of their lives.”
According to Reuters, more than 2.6 million Ukrainian civilians—mostly women and children— have fled the country since Russia’s invasion, with 185,000 people arriving in Slovakia seeking refuge.
“We are immensely grateful to Esmark, Mr. Bouchard and Ms. Roda for this generous donation. The funds will be used to continue providing shelter, food and safety to our neighbors fleeing Ukraine,” said Košice City Mayor Ing. Jaroslav Polaček.
“Jim and I remain good friends with many of our former colleagues in Slovakia. They have been keeping us informed of the influx of refugees into Košice, estimating that more than 17,000 refugees have arrived,” said Roda. “On behalf of our friends and former colleagues, we wanted to provide swift support so that they can deliver immediate aid to people in need.”
Esmark and Bouchard have a history of and commitment to helping others in need. Over the last 15 years, more than $10 million has been donated to humanitarian relief and children’s charities.
Bouchard continued, “We will standby for future and additional Košice-Ukrainian relief efforts for families and children.”
HOW TO TAKE ACTION:
Esmark will make an additional donation up to $25,000 USD to the City of Košice, matching monetary contributions made by Americans to help Ukrainian refugees. Donations can be made to any legitimate and verified organization including, but not limited to, UNICEF USA, ActionAid USA, Americares, Mercy Corps. Donors should email a confirmation code/receipt to donations@esmark.com.
About Esmark, Inc.
Esmark, Inc. is a diversified, privately-held family company with a portfolio of industrial companies with strong roots in the steel industry. Over the years, Esmark has diversified its interests and operations into a number of businesses engaged in the industrial and commodity sectors. Esmark (a former publicly traded company on NASDAQ: ESMK) has focused on several key industries including steel services, oil and gas exploration, aviation, real estate, professional services, technology and youth sports development. The company is also an active corporate citizen in the communities it serves, having committed more than $10 million in philanthropic support of a wide range of humanitarian, education, family wellness and youth sports programs in Pennsylvania, Illinois and internationally. www.esmark.com