By Tianshu liu and Tianchang Liu
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb 6, 2023 and its aftershocks have left hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need of aid. The LexYouth members decided to take action to help. Fifteen kids, ranging in ages from 8 to 16, came together and organized a fundraising event on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 to raise funds for those affected by the disaster. They split into groups and went to different locations, such as CVS, Stop & Shop, Starbucks.
Despite the windy and cold weather, the event was a huge success, with many generous residents in the community stepping forward make donations. In total, these young volunteers raised more than $1,200 in cash, and over $420 online in two days. The funds will be donated to Turkish Philanthropy Funds and Syrian American Medical Society equally.
The thoughts of the supporters meant a lot to the volunteers. A women searched in her wallet but did not find a lot of cash, so she gave everything she had and left. Another time, an old gentleman riding a bicycle donated $30 and asked to have pictures taken with the kids. He explained that he was from Turkey and was impressed by the children’s empathy and willingness to take action. In addition, quite some people stood in the cold for a long time to make donations online. A 10-year-old volunteer said, “We wanted to help the people in Turkey and Syria who are going through a really hard time right now. It was amazing to see so many people come out to support us.”
LexYouth plans to continue their fundraising efforts and encourage others to join their effort to support those in need. You can scan the barcode and donate online. Thank you for your support.
LexOberver also reported this fundraising event, check out their report here
