FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2025 (Roanoke, Va.) – A Blacksburg nonprofit hopes to travel in May to Ukraine to provide prosthetic legs to some of the estimated 100,000 soldiers and civilians, women and children, who are now amputees because of the war.
To help Hope to Walk fundraise for its $15,000 mission, BUZZ Live! will host a special one-hour show | on April 3 at 7 p.m. at Church on Main in downtown Blacksburg. The show is free and open to all, and will also be live-streamed to the Facebook and YouTube channels of both @buzz4good and @hopetowalk.
“The people of Ukraine have suffered such tragedy due to the Russian invasion,” said BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill. “Like many in Southwest Virginia, I’ve felt powerless to help … until now. I am so inspired by Hope to Walk’s heartfelt vision, and honored to assist in our small way to make it a reality.”
Founded in 2014 by certified orthotist and prosthetist Phil Johnson, Hope To Walk offers prosthetic legs and hope to a world in need. Focused primarily in Central America, Hope to Walk provides below-knee prosthetics for just $250, or 1/100th of the cost of a traditional U.S.-made prosthetic leg. Each prosthetic leg is donated and fitted free to an amputee in the developing world.
Working with the Washington, D.C. nonprofit Ukraine Focus, which addresses medical needs in Ukraine, Hope to Walk founder Phil Johnson and assistant Max Faublas are scheduled to travel to Ukraine the last two weeks in May. They will be in Kyiv with Ukraine Focus staff to consult on the best way to meet the need while also outfitting at least 20 amputees with Hope to Walk legs.
BUZZ Live! will feature the inspiring people who serve Hope to Walk, and share some video testimonials of those who can now walk thanks to the nonprofit.
Trip expenses, along with the cost of 20 prosthetic legs, are estimated to be $15,000. Donations can be made at http://hopetowalk.org/donate/. More information about the BUZZ Live! show can be found at https://buzz.4good.com/events/.
