Ukrainian esports organization Natus Vincere have raised half a million dollars in support of the country amid the war against Russia.
The funds were raised as part of the partnership between NAVI and UNITED24, a global initiative launched by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to collect donations to help the country.
Almost half of the amount raised came from the NAVI organization, which gave $200,000. NAVI owner Maxym Krippa contributed $108,000, while CS:GO star Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev made a personal donation of $100,000 for an ambulance. The rest of the money was raised through the BORN TO BE BRAVE charity tournament, which featured many of the best CS:GO players in the world.
Our partners, @natusvincere, have raised $500,000 for the medical needs of Ukraine!🚑 $100,000 for an ambulance was donated by eSports star, Oleksandr @s1mpleO Kostylev;🚑$108,000 was donated by NAVI owner, Maksym Krippa;🚑$200,000 was transferred by the organization itself. pic.twitter.com/OOdgwQwLdu
— UNITED24 (@U24_gov_ua) December 28, 2022
According to UNITED24, the funds will be used for medical aid for the Ukrainian people.
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In a separate initiative, NAVI have purchased 100 cars, each fully serviced and painted in a protective color, to aid “the heroes in the AAF and the Kraken regiment” in their combat missions. The Ukrainian organization had previously purchased 120 armored and multi-purpose vehicles for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Based in Kyiv, NAVI have organized a series of initiatives to raise money and awareness of suffering in Ukraine since the start of the war. In March, NAVI cut ties with ESforce Holding, a Russian company that owns several esports properties, including RuHub and Epic Esports Events. “While NAVI employees and players spend their days in bomb shelters, Esforce Holding publicly denies the horror that is now happening in Ukraine,” NAVI said.