Football field covered with toys for quake survivor children

ISTANBUL

Beşiktaş fans threw thousands of toys onto the field from the stands during Beşiktaş’s Spor Toto Super League match against Fraport TAV Antalyaspor at Vodafone Park.

The toy campaign launched by the Beşiktaş club due to the quakes centered in Kahramanmaraş attracted great attention from the public.

The game was paused at 4:17 a.m., the exact time when the first deadly earthquake rocked the province, as Beşiktaş fans threw thousands of plush toys they had brought with them from the stands onto the field to be sent to children in the earthquake zone, while the license plate codes of 11 provinces were displayed on the scoreboard.

Players from both teams helped officials to collect the toys from the field, with some becoming emotional.

Alexandru Maxim, a player who came to Beşiktaş on loan from Gaziantep Football Club, one of the teams from the quake region, was brought to tears.

At the same time, a banner reading “From west to east, this community is behind you! Our condolences” was unfurled from the Beşiktaş stands.