By Emory Morsberger – For The Gwinnett Daily Post
This Ukrainian Independence Day, members of the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County are turning compassion into action.
Our club has launched a campaign with a goal of raising $50,000 for Superhumans Center, which provides free prosthetics, rehabilitation, reconstructive surgery, psychological care, and social reintegration to Ukrainian adults and children injured because of the war.
I am deeply grateful to Buck Lindsay for proposing and championing this initiative, Club President Mike Fulton for his leadership, and Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia President and CEO DePriest Waddy for helping make the campaign possible.
Their commitment reflects the very best of Rotary and its guiding principle: “Service Above Self.”
On Aug. 24, Ukraine will mark 35 years of independence. Yet Ukrainians are still fighting every day to preserve the freedom they declared in 1991.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, soldiers and civilians have suffered catastrophic injuries from missiles, drones, artillery, and landmines. Many must rebuild not only their bodies, but also their confidence, careers, and family lives.
For someone who has lost a limb because of the war, independence takes on a deeply personal meaning.
It can mean learning to stand or walk again and returning to work. Caring for a child. Driving a car. Or simply having the confidence to leave home and make plans for the future.
Ukraine does not publish one consolidated official count of people who have lost limbs. However, estimates cited by Northwestern University indicate that more than 100,000 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians may have experienced limb loss since the full-scale invasion began.
Behind that staggering number are individual human beings — parents, spouses, children, colleagues, and neighbors — who want the same things we all do: to live independently, support their families, and participate fully in their communities.
That is the mission of Superhumans Center.
According to its current official reporting, Superhumans now operates three centers in Ukraine. It has served more than 3,500 patients, provided more than 3,600 prosthetics, and performed more than 2,900 surgeries. Every service is provided free of charge.
I have visited Superhumans and witnessed what this work means to people rebuilding their lives.
A prosthetic is not simply a device. It is one part of a long and intensely personal recovery process that can include surgery, preparation, fitting and adjustment, physical and occupational therapy, psychological support, and months of learning how to navigate everyday life again.
Recovery is about more than mobility. It is about dignity, confidence, purpose, and independence.
The need for this care continues to grow as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian communities.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in July 2026 — a 30 percent increase from the previous month and the highest monthly number of civilian deaths since May 2022.
Missiles, drones, and aerial bombs continue to strike cities far from the front lines. Behind every statistic is a person whose life — and whose family’s life — may be changed forever.
Through Aug. 24, every donation of $100 or more to the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County campaign is eligible for a 2:1 match, tripling its impact.
A $100 gift becomes $300.
A $250 gift becomes $750.
A $500 gift becomes $1,500.
The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia serves as the fiscal partner and processes donations on behalf of the Rotary campaign benefiting Superhumans Center.
As a longtime Rotarian, I have seen what becomes possible when people choose service over indifference.
When Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Rotarians across borders used their relationships and international network to move medical equipment and humanitarian assistance into Ukraine. That remarkable effort became known as the “Great Rotary Relay.”
The same spirit of service is alive today in Gwinnett County.
This campaign is not about restoring someone to the person they were before an injury. It is about providing the care and support that allow that person to move forward and build a full, active, and independent life.
For Americans, Independence Day is usually a joyful celebration. But imagine celebrating while your country is fighting every day to preserve its right to exist.
On Aug. 24, Ukrainians will celebrate their nation’s independence while continuing to defend it.
Here in Georgia, we can help someone reclaim independence on a deeply personal level.
This Ukrainian Independence Day, please help a person who lost a limb because of the war take their next step toward independence.
Donate through the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County campaign:
Learn more about Superhumans Center: