Letter ot Editor: Why I Support Frank Gunsallus for Easton Council President

There are so many things in life that you hope you never see, and you wonder why the lessons of history are so hard to learn and remember. As I watch the war in Ukraine continue to unfold, I wonder if anyone can stop the madness and why no one seems to do anything about it. But then I remember Frank Gunsallus and how one person can truly make a difference. He’s a fellow Easton Rotarian and friend, and all of us can learn a lot from him about courage, integrity, and service to others.

Heroes come along rarely, but when Frank Gunsallus and his wife, Iryna, traveled to Ukraine to get her parents out of the country at the beginning of the war, he became one in short order. Instead of running home, the whole family stayed in Warsaw, Poland, to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Ukrainians stuck at home and facing the horrors of a merciless and unprovoked war. Frank secured three ambulances to save lives at the front. He made sure a mental health facility was secured in Warsaw to accommodate refugees who had seen and experienced far too much.

Working with Rotary Clubs in Poland and Ukraine and with Disaster Aid USA, he delivered tents, water purifications systems, lights, cell phone chargers, and much-needed food and supplies to where they were needed most. He delivered teddy bears made in our own Rotary District to refugee children, and they worked magic. He guided Rotarians from all over the world to refugee camps so they, too, could help. Like the firefighters and police who ran into buildings— and not away from them— on 9/11, Frank ran into the teeth of the Russian bear to help save his wife’s people. Frank is a true hero and sets a very high standard for the rest of us to follow. He’s the very definition of Rotary’s motto of “Service above Self.” 

So, do you see? It only takes the desire and willingness to make a difference. In millions of ways, large and small, YOU can be just like Frank Gunsallus.

George A. Hatcher, Jr.
Easton