CANMORE – A couple of days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Canmore-raised Dan Kostka made his way to the Slovakia-Ukraine border to provide aid to refugees.
Kostka loaded up his car with supplies and made the seven-hour drive to the border not knowing what would happen when he got there.
To his surprise, there was only a trickle of refugees coming through due to the processing time, and there was also not yet a system to match drivers with refugees, so he came back the next morning to take his first group to safety after they waited 11 hours to be processed at the border.
Kostka continued to make four more trips across a month-and-a-half and continued to provide supplies to the refugee camps.
“The first weekend was just paid for by myself, but every subsequent weekend was paid for by friends and family,” said Kostka. “I felt like I was on a mission. And it was not just important to me, but it was important to friends and family back home that I continue to do it.”
Documenting the whole experience, Kostka turned the experience into a book Escape to Slovakia: Five Journeys from the Ukrainian Border.
The book features journal entries, transcribed voice notes, and conversations that put the reader into Kostka’s shoes.
“I think that’s a big reason why I wrote the book was to give a real experience with a lot of detail about what exactly was involved in responding to this situation, but it’s applicable in all areas of your life that if you’re not feeling a lot of sense of purpose for what you’re doing with your work – or just in general – that if you find people that you can help and if you’re acting in accordance with your values, that there's this deep sense of satisfaction and meaning that you would get,” said Kostka.
Growing up in Canmore, Kostka said he always felt his friends, family, and neighbours were looking out for each other, which he believing that sense of connection to others played a role in his decision to help the neighbours of Slovakia.
“Slovakia was one of several neighbours of Ukraine who saw their neighbour in need and did whatever they could to help. And I think that’s a very inspiring story that I wanted to share,” said Kostka.
“I’m grateful that I was there and able to make a big difference, at least for those people that I brought back and for the people who received the donated supplies that I brought to the refugee camps.”
Kostka will be at Café Books Sept. 2 at 12-4 p.m. for a meet-and-greet to talk more about his book.
