Ukrainian has raised $1.3 mln through custom notes on shells
Photo: SignMyRocket
Anton Sokolenko, a 21-year-old resident of the city of Cherkasy, created a service that allows residents of Ukraine and foreigners to order custom notes on shells, tanks, and even airplanes for a donation to the army. Due to the initiative, he has collected $1.3 mln to aid Ukraine's armed forces since last May.
The "18000" media writes about the idea of the project, the most exciting inscriptions, and the reaction of russians.
What is the problem?
After the full-scale invasion, Anton Sokolenko created a Telegram channel where he published war videos and thus collected donations for the army. Over time, contributions from the audience started to decrease. Then the idea to collect donations by writing inscriptions on weapons appeared. With such an initiative, a student addressed the Army Assistance Center. Anton's first ambitious goal was to raise money for a drone.
– At first, the price for the inscription was minimal – 30 dollars. We raised $3,000 in one week. When I proposed the idea with notes, the volunteers of the Army Assistance Center said that it was pointless, that no one would donate, but three thousand changed their minds, – Anton recalls with a smile.
What is the solution?
As the project is primarily aimed at foreigners, to simplify the ordering process, Anton has developed a special website with IT specialists.
Currently, to order on the SignMyRocket website, a person needs to indicate which inscription should be written, on which type of weapon, and then pay a specified amount. After that, Anton sends all the necessary information on the inscription to the Ukrainian military involved. Finally, photo or video reports are sent to customers.
How does it work?
Today, the Army Assistance Center cooperates with over ten military units on the front line.
At first, inscriptions could have been written only on small 82 mm mines. Currently, the cheapest inscription is a custom note on a shell from the M777 howitzer costing $200. A custom note on the MIG-29 fighter plane is the most expensive. Anton says that such an inscription is ordered not by one person but by a group of people because such a service costs 20,000 dollars.
Also, until recently, among the options was the opportunity to sign a VOG (a small grenade dropped from a drone, – ed.). An inscription on a tube or cover of the "HIMARS" rocket requires a donation of 1,500 dollars.
Today, Americans and Finns are ordering such inscriptions most often. Anton did not invest any money in advertising. Instead, foreign media repeatedly wrote about his initiative. This makes it possible for an idea to spread organically abroad.
Also, publishing videos and photos of signed shells by public figures helps promote the SignMyRocket service. US Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Paul Massaro have already become "clients" of SignMyRocket. In general, more than 4,500 people from all over the world have ordered inscriptions since last May. It should be noted that among the customers, there were citizens of russia and belarus.
Memes, jokes, and birthday greetings are among the most popular inscriptions. The military fulfilled about 300 such orders.
– The service is top-rated among the Finns because they fought with russia, so they usually write: "This is revenge for the father, for the grandfather and the family," – Anton says.
Among the most interesting implemented ideas were a proposal of the hand and heart and the inscription "Happy Divorce."
There were also comical situations related to these inscriptions.
– Once, we were ordered an inscription to be signed on the VOG grenade," Hello from New York," written in English. The military man signed the grenade and filmed a video of him signing it and attaching it to the drone. And after a few minutes, the drone was shot down by enemies. A day later, I saw a post written by Ramzan Kadyrov (putin's supporter and the president of the Chechen Republic), stating that the inscription "Hello from New York" on the shell was proof that NATO fighters were fighting for Ukraine.
Anton Sokolenko is a volunteer at the Cherkasy Army Assistance Center. Therefore, the organization distributes the cost, which are collected through the implementation of the project.
During the implementation of the project, with the funds raised, the volunteers have already purchased about a hundred cars and the same number of drones, as well as several Starlinks, thermal imagers, and even two Punisher drones.
