Ukrainian-born pilot raises funds for his family back home

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Jan 23, 2023

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – With the ensuing invasion of Ukraine, a local pilot, originally from Ukraine, can’t help but think of his mother back home.

“Nobody really knows the situation better than the people there,” said Lieutenant Commander Anton Leonardes. “People there really don’t know how the outside perspective looks at him.”

Leonardes is a pilot at NAS Meridian. His mother and other family members live in Kyiv, Ukraine. As Leonardes completes his two training missions a day, his mind is always on his homeland. Recently, Leonardes decided to create a patch to help raise funds for his family and other Ukrainians. The support has been overwhelming and he is grateful.

“It’s a movement of happiness because of the image that I try to give. It’s not about trying to help just one person. It’s about spreading hope. That’s what my whole life is about and that’s what I put in this patch. Leonardo explained.

His passion for aviation runs deep. He focused early on on becoming a pilot and is achieving it now.

“Any time you feel like you’re at the worst time in your life, if you could turn yourself into some kind of positive mindset and change it for the better, you would persevere,” Leonardes said.

You can learn more about Leonardes and his patches by visiting his website: https://hopepatch.webflow.io/