Students raise funds to provide relief to victims of Turkey earthquake

When a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit southern Turkey on Feb. 6, junior Zeyneb Kaya felt helpless being so far away from her relatives who lived near the region that was hit.

“My family members were really affected, especially on my dad’s side,” Kaya said. “They all had to leave their homes and stay in one place; it was crazy scary for my entire family.”

Kaya, anxious to lend a helping hand, reached out to sophomore Yusuf Tokuz and his sister senior Zeynep Tokuz, who also have family in the affected area. The three launched a GoFundMe to provide immediate relief to those affected by the disaster.

The nearly $2,300 in funds raised so far will go to both AKUT, a voluntary organization involved in searching for, assisting and rescuing those who require aid in nature-related accidents, and Ahbap, a collaborative movement established to provide help in the form of cash assistance.

Hoping to spread the word about the fundraiser, Kaya reached out both to ASB to relay donation details via morning announcements as well as to individual teachers asking them to share the information with students during class and on Canvas.

“It’s honestly so amazing to see donations come in, people have been very generous,” Kaya said. “Every time I see the numbers, my heart warms up.”