On Feb. 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed tens of thousands of people in Turkey, and on Feb. 20, a 6.8 magnitude aftershock injured over 200 people and killed 6. Students at Wofford have banded together to start a fundraiser to help the people in Turkey.

Mina Gencoguz ‘26, student coordinator, and Rev. Ron Robinson, Perkins-Prothro Chaplain and professor of religion, have developed a fundraiser in hopes to spread awareness across Wofford’s campus.

Gencoguz is a first-year student from Istanbul, Turkey and wants to help her home country with Wofford’s help.

“The earthquake hit 11 cities in East Turkey plus Syria,” Gencoguz said. “Nothing has ever

hit me this hard emotionally. This is such a devastating and a scary time, and I just hope and

pray for the best possible scenario for the ones affected.”

The first earthquake destroyed 11 cities in Turkey and Syria and was felt in four more countries. Within 10 hours of the first, a 7.5 magnitude quake struck the same areas and has been followed by many aftershocks. 

Gencoguz’s personal connection to the earthquake made her want to do something about it, so she has worked with Wofford to develop a fundraiser to raise money and awareness for this cause. 

“People underestimate how big of an impact they can have and how big of a role they can play in these kinds of situations,” Gencoquz said. “I just wanted to be a voice and spread awareness in the community I am in right now and have the support from the Chaplin’s office. I think we can have a positive impact in this devastating time.”

The fundraiser will be finalized the week of Feb. 27, and the fundraising page will be live once everything has been finalized. 

If you are interested in getting involved, reach out to Gencoguz or Rev. Robinson for more information. The information will also be available on @oldgandb on Instagram.

Julia Allen, managing editor