Tornado relief efforts unified across international borders

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chase Hedrick
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  While aid organizations were still digging through rubble and providing emergency care to people affected by the deadly storms that struck the U.S. Midwest May 20, plans were already underway that enabled Airmen and Turkish citizens to come together to offer a helping hand from more than 6,000 miles away.

Turkish shop owners partnered with Team Incirlik, private organizations and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service to pour out donations and support for a "Rummage for Relief" fundraiser sale held June 8 at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. The combined efforts raised more than $2,700 for Americans affected by the disaster.

One of the Turkish businesses that insisted on reaching out to help Americans through the fundraiser made their largest donation in the shop's 53-year history, according to one son in the family business.

"This was not for advertising or to have fun, this was about helping others who really need it in these kinds of times," said Safak Acikgoz, Pop's Leather employee. "We also have natural disasters in Turkey, so we know the feelings of the people who are hurt and we wanted to support them as much as we could."

Local businesses offered their goods for the fundraiser after learning of the opportunity to send aid to the affected areas through the base. Acikgoz said he saw the result of the storms on television and was particularly saddened when hearing about students who died after a tornado hit their school.

"We have seen so much of the news in our media, and when we saw this letter about aid efforts from Incirlik Air Base, we were glad to see these kinds of activities organized by military personnel," he said.

The widespread support was coordinated in part by one Airman deployed to Incirlik AB who was personally affected by the tornado outbreak. Capt. Dave Stuckenberg, deployed here from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., said that winds from one tornado spawned by the same storm system hit his Missouri home, tearing off siding and destroying a fence while his wife and four children took cover in the basement.

"My wife didn't get a lot of warning. Unfortunately, the weather radio repeater was down that afternoon," he said. "So the only warning she received was a family member calling her from California saying 'you need to take cover now.'"

The captain said the outpouring of kindness from those not able to go and help in person was incredible. He credited the success of the fundraiser to the collective efforts of all involved, from both inside and outside the gate.

"As humans, we cannot stop this kind of natural disaster," said Acikgoz. "All we can do is help whoever is in need."

Editor's note: (No Department of Defense or government agency endorsement. Images do not represent any endorsement, expressed or implied, by the Department of Defense or any other United States government agency.)