Football Fans Make Stadium Rain With Stuffed Toys For Child Survivors Of Turkiye Quake
Thousands of teddy bears were showered on the football pitch to be donated to the children affected by the recent earthquakes.
By Deborah Chan — 28 Feb 2023, 06:11 PM
Fans of Istanbul football clubs, Besiktas and Antalyaspor, showered the stadium with stuffed toys mid-Super League match last Sunday, 26 February
According to Al Jazeera, thousands of football fans threw stuffed toys onto the football pitch as a symbol of solidarity with child survivors of the disastrous Turkiye-Syria earthquakes.
The donation was planned by the football clubs alongside the fans, and took place in the fourth minute and 17th second of the Turkish team's game. That specific time was chosen to correspond with the time 4.17am, when the first earthquake struck on 6 February.
An array of multi-coloured stuffed animals could be seen on the seats of the stadium, which has a capacity of 42,000.
"Our fans threw scarves, berets, and plush toys on the ground of Vodafone Park to be given as a gift to the children in the earthquake region to cheer them up," said Besiktas in a club statement, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The football clubs added that they will be delivering the toys to children in the affected areas.
Shortly after, a hashtag meaning 'this toy is for you, my friend' began trending on Twitter
According to The Washington Post, the hashtag that trended was #BuOyuncakSanaArkadaşım, which translates to 'This toy is for you, my friend'.
The hashtag was used to share videos and photos of the wholesome moment between players and football fans nationwide.
Several influencers and football associations have also chimed in and shared the moment on their Twitter account.
However, some videos featured fans chanting for the Turkish government to resign
France24 reported that anti-governmental remarks were being chanted as the match came to a draw.
The earthquakes have claimed over 47,000 lives across Turkiye and Syria and destroyed an estimated 93,000 buildings, reported The Washington Post. Turkish officials said that it was the country's biggest disaster in modern history.
The Turkish government has been criticised for the way it handled the disaster, its slow initial rescue and relief efforts, and the substandard architectural plans practised across the country despite its history of quakes.
