Soccer fans threw thousands of cuddly toys and teddy bears onto the pitch during a match in Istanbul for children who survived the earthquakes in Turkey.
The players clapped and appeared emotional as Besiktas fans threw a sea of soft toys from the stands.
They held the event, called ‘This Game is My Friend’, during their Turkish Super League clash with Fraport TAV Antalyaspor on Sunday.
The match was stopped after four minutes and 17 seconds to represent the moment when the initial 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey on February 6.
More than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria have died with millions displaced after a series of devastating earthquakes hit the region.
Players rushed to the pitch to collect the toys before they were sent to people in need.
Besiktas said in a statement: “Our fans organized an important event called ‘This game is my friend’ during the match to give morale to the children affected by the earthquake.
“Fans threw scarves, berets and plush toys to be given as gifts to children in the earthquake area.”
Defender Tayyib Sanuc said: “There are more important things than football.
“We are going through difficult times as a country.
“Together we will heal the wounds.
“Our fans made an important event – I was very touched.”
Nearly 240,000 people have been deployed to help rescue efforts in 11 earthquake-hit provinces in Turkey.
Central Turkey was hit by another 5.5-magnitude earthquake on Saturday as it desperately tries to rebuild homes that were previously destroyed.
Last Monday, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit areas of Turkey and Syria already devastated by massive tremors.
The death toll has eclipsed the previous worst earthquake in Turkey in 1939, which killed 33,000 people.
People in the UK have raised £100m for the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal, hailed as one of the “biggest and fastest” responses to a disaster.
Funds that originally supported the search and rescue operation are now being used to pay for food, water, temporary shelters and warm clothing.
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