For sophomore biochemistry and math major Musaddiq Awan, the October South Asian earthquake meant losing the lives of cousins trapped under the rubble of their collapsed school buildings and the homes he fondly remembers from his trips to Pakistan.
He and more than 250 other students, parents and friends of the Pakistani community gathered Friday night for that very reason as they dined on vegetable biryani and butter chicken in hopes of raising money for the victims of the disaster. The success of the event in Stamp Student Union far exceeded the group’s expectations, raising more than $14,000 in donations in a little under two hours.
The Oct. 8 earthquake in northern Pakistan killed at least 86,000 people and left millions homeless. Help to the region has been slowed by relief efforts for other disasters, including hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Sheikh Abu Umar Irfan Kabiruddin, one of many fundraisers and the head of the Islamic Society of Baltimore’s mosque, announced the organization would be donating $1,000 to aid regions of Pakistan affected by the earthquake. He then asked the crowd to match his donation, and, after a few moments, several hands were proudly raised.
These donations came from parents and adults in the Pakistani community, but Muslim Students’ Association president Hosam Haggag and former president Mohamed Abutaleb took the stage and made a point to motivate students to raise their hands if they would contribute at least a dollar each.
“If you don’t raise your hand, I’ll look for you in the food court,” Abutaleb jokingly threatened.
Pakistani Student Association president Ali Malik gives credit to Haggag and Abutaleb in raising money from students. “They were aggressive, and they got the students more involved more than the [mosque leader] did. [The parents’] checks were made out already before they came.”
The sophomore Awan was the last speaker that evening, and he shared the personal details of the loss his closest cousin experienced – during the earthquake, his cousin’s wife broke her back and lost their unborn child.
“I guess I had to do it because I was trying to help out and get more donations,” he said. “Afterwards it kind of took the wind out of me, but people needed to grasp the whole story.”
The donations collected during dinner alone came to $14,214, not including the $3,100 the PSA raised in ticket sales. The donations are still rising as people continue to call and send in checks, said Malik.
“The goal of the event was to raise money, and we did that very well,” he said.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact reporter Janelle Zara at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.
