Bake sale shows support for natural disaster victims
Students and staff came together to raise $770 for survivors of the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey with a bake sale hosted by the Augustana International Club on March 1.
The sale included goods both baked and donated by students and staff, and it sought to raise both awareness as well as money.
“We, as Augustana International Club, are trying to give back to the global community by organizing the bake sale,” sophomore Fatima Besh, the AIC event planner, said. “All the money made from this bake sale will be donated directly to relief organizations responsible for buying medical supplies, food and clothes for the families affected by the earthquake.”
On February 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and several smaller earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, devastating both countries. According to the Associated Press, the death toll has reached 50,000, with many additional injured people.
“I am from Turkey,” freshman Senem Ocal said. “It means a lot to me to see people on campus working together to raise money for the survivors.”
A day before the bake sale, volunteers gathered to bake goodies in the Wagoner kitchen. Students and staff also donated their own baked goods.
The AIC set up tables in the Morrison Commons, the Fryxell building and the Froiland Science Complex to sell brownies, muffins, gluten-free cookies, truffles and more.
AIC president Abemelech Mesfin Belachew said raising awareness was an important part of hosting the bake sale, as some people who bought goods were unaware of the earthquakes.
“We need to create awareness because a lot of people don’t really know what’s going on,” Belachew said. “The bake sale is a way we can inform them and, at the same time, try to help the survivors.”
Sophomore Angelica Morales, who attended the bake sale, said she appreciated the local effort towards global issues.
“I appreciate that the AIC is doing this because you don’t really see things like this to take action to work for things that are happening globally,” Morales said. “I think it’s really important, especially for the international community, to reach out and support each other in times of need.”
The AIC said the bake sale was successful in raising funds and awareness for earthquake survivors.
