RBTNK was created, first and foremost, to support everyone working toward victory over a common enemy. So, for the Defender’s Day, we invited our community, alongside our team, to 'suspend' 150 tags – meaning 150 gifts went to soldiers in honor of the holiday. In our first blog post, we explain how this initiative began and share feedback from the defenders who received these gifts.

«The story of the ‘suspended’ tag began with greeting those I most wanted to support – soldiers in rehabilitation, former prisoners of war, and those who simply needed attention and support. All these people would reach out directly to RBTNK when I was running it alone, wanting to make a purchase, and I would just surprise them with a gift. Each month, I gave away various numbers of tags, receiving incredibly positive feedback: joy, gratitude, and the feeling that we’re in this together. I genuinely believe this is important. As Skovoroda advised, ‘If I want others to love me, I love first.’ I wanted others to experience this too, so I invited our community to join in and ‘suspend’ tags for the October 1 holiday.

For an entire week, any soldier who reached out to us received a gift: some filled out a form, some messaged us directly, and some made orders on the site – and we sent a receipt with zero balance. In this way, we multiplied, multiplied, multiplied joy.

Joy from people giving gifts and warm messages to those who are often cold and lonely (I know this firsthand). Thank you to everyone who joined and supported this effort. Below is more about the defenders who received your gifts.»

Iordan, combat medic, RBTNK owner

The first 20 'suspended' tags went to veterans training in the 'Iron Will' team, currently preparing for the OceanMan competition. We visited them during their swim training on October 1 and congratulated them on the holiday.

The Iron Will Foundation aids in rehabilitating soldiers after injuries, organizing swim training for people with amputations and other serious injuries in Kyiv and Lviv. Among the participants are Oleksandr 'Teren', Ihor 'Yankee', Artem 'Grot', and many others. Anyone can join absolutely free of charge.

Another 58 tags went to military medics returning from the REPOWER rehabilitation program, held this time in Denmark. We met the participants at the train station and gave them the tags – it was a surprise for them.

The REPOWER project focuses on mental health recovery for military medics, marking its tenth trip for Ukrainians. Their goal is 'to rescue 100 heroes from severe psychological disorders every month.'

The remaining 72 gifts were sent to combat medics, assault troops, aerial scouts, press officers, and many other defenders across Ukraine. In return, they sent us photos and heartfelt words, which we are happy to share with you. Each person who 'suspended' a tag could leave a personal greeting – we included them in the tag envelopes as postcards. So, many of the thanks are personal – if you also 'suspended' a tag, you might find your name among the messages from soldiers.

From us, we’ll add that working on this small yet meaningful project was very moving – we were reminded once again that every small act of support and gratitude matters. And that this is how we can gradually close the distance between the rear and the frontline. Thank you to everyone who participated! You’re amazing :)

One more important thing: after we gifted all the 'suspended' tags, we kept hearing from people who wanted to 'suspend' a tag and from soldiers wanting to receive them.

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