AURORA | The Multicultural Mosaic Foundation will be holding an interfaith prayer vigil Saturday evening for the victims of the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake has claimed over 23,000 lives as of Friday and has left thousands more across the region homeless or without heating or electricity, according to the Associated Press.
“We are deeply saddened to hear that these quakes have caused the widespread destruction and collapse of buildings, with thousands of deaths and many thousands more injuries in Turkey and northwestern Syria,” the Mosaic Foundation said in a Facebook post. “We are coming together to pray for the victims in Turkey and Syria. Please join us.”
The vigil is scheduled 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 at 14232 E. Evans Ave. in Aurora.
In a Thursday email newsletter to constituents, Aurora-area state representative Iman Jodeh encouraged people to donate to relief efforts through UNICEF or the Syrian-American Medical Society and said that her office was available to provide support.
“Waking up to the news of destruction and the devastating loss of life in the aftermath of two earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria has left me heartbroken,” she said in the email. “While this is the beginning of a difficult path, both people will have to navigate as they grieve and recover.”