Earlier this month, a series of massive and devastating earthquakes rocked the nation of Turkey, killing more than 50,000 people in total as buildings collapsed and people were trapped and crushed by rubble. It’s been a heartbreaking situation all around as the country mourns and recovers, but during a soccer match this weekend, we saw quite an incredible display of humans coming together for a greater purpose.
Fans attending Sunday’s match between Beşiktaş and Antalyaspor of the Turkish Super Lig brought several stuffed toys to the match.
The game stopped at four minutes and 17 seconds to correspond with the time the earthquake struck southeastern Turkey – 4:17 a.m. local time on February 6 – and fans throughout the stadium collectively threw the toys onto the field as one massive donation to child earthquake victims.
It was an absolutely touching scene after such a difficult time in the country.
Beşiktaşlı taraftarlar, yanlarında getirdikleri oyuncakları depremzede çocuklarımıza gönderilmesi için sahaya attı 🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/F8RzWCoUQT
— Fatma Karaağaç (@ftm_krgc) February 26, 2023
As the stuffed toys continued to rain down from the stands, players from both squads assisted in picking the toys up and piling them up on the sidelines to be collected for donation.
The video has since gone totally viral, with people from all across the world reacting to the touching moment.
turkish football fans throwing toys for child victims of the earthquake.
humanity on full display, love this. pic.twitter.com/mOG0HhmkDL
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) February 26, 2023
Watch this, and tell me you did not feel something. Football fans in Turkey throw toys down on the field to collect for the children in the earthquake zone. Such a beautiful and heartwrenching scene of love. Such big hearts. pic.twitter.com/MGzIAaT85u
— Louis Fishman لوي فيشمان לואי פישמן (@Istanbultelaviv) February 26, 2023
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal."
This is humanity at its best – Turkish football fans donate toys for the children devastated by the earthquakes pic.twitter.com/XBQVBw0mWP
— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) February 27, 2023
At 4:17 time of the first earthquake, fans of of Beşiktaş and Antalyaspor interrupted the game to shower the pitch with toys to donate to young survivors of the earthquakes in Turkey. This is such a sight. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ngEmd4Rfh2
— Sangita (@Sanginamby) February 27, 2023
Besiktas and Antalyaspor fans donate toys for earthquake-affected children🥹
— badger.eth (@nftbadger) February 27, 2023
👏 Besiktas fans threw thousands of toys onto the pitch yesterday to be donated to the survivors of the Turkey earthquake that devastated the region on February 6th.
A beautiful gesture. ❤️
📹 @ftm_krgc pic.twitter.com/kYylo4E6p9
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) February 27, 2023
Beşiktaş fans threw toys on the field which will be sent to earthquake victim children. pic.twitter.com/O8xmnSvSbC
— Levent Kemal (@leventkemaI) February 26, 2023
While it’s impossible to determine exactly how many toys were donated, it’s quite clear that there were thousands thrown onto the pitch.
