Bids are being invited for a trip to one of the world’s best locations for salmon fishing, in an online auction to benefit families displaced by the war in Ukraine.
The trip to Langara Island in western Canada is being offered by a generous donor, who does not want to be named.
Bids can be placed online here — but anglers who do not wish to compete in bidding can buy the trip for $20,000 via the same link.
The all-inclusive trip is for up to four people to the island near Vancouver on 27 to 30 July this year, one of the best times for salmon fishing, according to the Langara Lodge website.
The package includes fishing, dining, accommodation and transfers to the island from Vancouver Airport.
Proceeds from the auction, which ends on Wednesday at 18:00 CET, will benefit the Jolly Sailor Society, the fundraising initiative that has funded a home for women and children displaced in Poland by the war in Ukraine.
TradeWinds visited the home in the Orunia area of Gdansk last year during extensive renovation work.
“The major refurbishment of the home has been completed, but now we are trying to raise funds for a new kitchen and for bedroom furnishings like beds, tables and wardrobes,” said Slawek Ratajewski, head of Oldendorff’s cargo desk, who is running the auction and had the initial idea to set up the home.
“We would welcome all generous donations from our friends in shipping, and hopefully someone can have fun on the fishing trip too.”
The building is already home to eight families of Ukrainian women and their children. It is hoped that up to 14 children orphaned by the war will be able to move in this year, plus a few young adults in specialised apartments on the building’s top floor.
The Jolly Sailor Society focuses on raising money from people in shipping on behalf of charity Obudz Nadzieje (Awaken Hope), which set up the home with oversight from local authorities and regulators.
Brothers Darek and Marek Krawczyk, co-founders of Gdansk-based coal trader and charterer Balta, set up Obudz Nadzieje 14 years ago. The charity focuses on groups who are often excluded from society, including disabled people.
Retired Oldendorff chief executive Peter Twiss personally donated the money to buy the building in Orunia where the home has been established.
Other Oldendorffers have pitched in too, as have companies such as shipbrokers SSY and BRS.
