OCTAA Raises $3,725 for Erzurum-Karaçoban Sariveli Elementary School

OCTAA Raises $3,725 for Erzurum-Karaçoban Sariveli Elementary School

The teacher’s plea reported on the desperate condition of this school. Specifically, the school needs four more classrooms to address overcrowding. There are no areas for students’ activities outside of the school building. Restrooms are in desperate need of repair and they are nonfunctional. No heaters are available in the classrooms. Windows and floors are in terrible condition.

Our goal was to raise $3,000 in donations to help address some of the school’s immediate needs. We came together as a community and exceeded our goal and raised $3,725 for this worthy cause. Funds were raised through a letter and email campaign which began in March 2008 and charity drives conducted during OCTAA’s annual Youth Day/Memorial Day Picnic, Victory Day Bonfire, a Turkish movie event, and a bowling event.

Our friends at BTF are in the process of working with Cagdas Yasami Destekleme Dernegi/Association in Support for Contemporary Living (ÇYDD) to provide the following items on behalf of OCTAA:

• Heating system for the school (looking into installing a central heating system)
• Two Classroom floor repairs
• Social studies laboratory (already provided by BTF as a matching gift to OCTAA)
• A projector
• Keyboards and mice and other computer items for the computer laboratory
• New school bulletin boards
• Bookcases, tables, chairs and other storage materials for the school library

Because of our interest and support of this school, the local government authorities have also pledged to help with other repair needs of the school. 

Thank you for taking part in this important effort to make an impact to our communities here and in Turkey. With your contributions, you have made a difference in the lives of children at this school by providing them with improved conditions conducive to a better education.

Your generous gifts are very much appreciated by the students and their teachers. We thank all of our guests for participating at our events and for donating to the raffles and tavla tournaments as well as those individual donors who made this fundraiser a success.

Thank you for your continued support of OCTAA’s charitable projects. With your generous contributions, OCTAA will continue to make a difference in improving education in rural areas of Turkey. 

Sincerely,
OCTAA Team

SPECIAL THANKS TO ERZURUM SCHOOL DONORS:

Orange County Turkish American Association (OCTAA)
Bridge to Turkiye Fund (BTF) (Cary, NC)
Sevda & Keith Aleckson
Ihsan Cemal Balat
Hande Can
Ayse Ruya-Cohen & UCI Turkish Student Association
Michelle Deniz Drousé
Sebnem Eler
Hasan Erbay
Ersen Ertem
Gwinnett County Health Department - Mr. Ferruh Bergman Memorial Fund
on behalf of Fulya Bergman-Sinangil (Lawrenceville, GA)
Rabia & Turker Hidirlar
Yilmaz & Serpil Kara
Mehmet Kayiran
Huseyin Kurtuldu
Ercan & Mine Ozbek
Dr. Begum Ozel (South Pasadena, CA)
Karen Reiter (Sarasota, FL)
Iffet Savas (Raleigh, NC)
Fulya Bergman-Sinangil (Duluth, GA)
Ismet Takim