A local Turkish restaurant owner collects donations for the 18 relatives killed in the earthquake

Colorado Springs, CO (KXRM) – The devastation from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey killed more than 50,000 people earlier this month. Among them was the family members of the owner of the Purple Onion Grill, a local Colorado Springs Turkish restaurant.

Purple Onion Grill owner Erdal Bengugullari said news of the earthquake came in the middle of the night.

“My sister called us and told us they had to evacuate. We had no idea [of how bad it was] Until the next day, we started to find out that they had started to pull bodies out of the rubble, and the news kept coming and going.”

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The news that kept coming in was of family members who were found dead in the aftermath. The total number of Bengogullari’s relatives killed was 18.

Relatives of Bengogliari who were killed in the earthquake in Turkey

He was eleven of the 18 nieces, nephews and cousins ​​who all lived in the same apartment building that collapsed.

It was devastating, and it was also hopeless. I couldn’t help. You want to communicate, but you can’t. “Words can’t explain the feeling,” Bangogalari said.

His mother and sister managed to escape but are now displaced from their homes, and as they continue to deal with the heavy losses of their family, earthquakes continue to affect the area.

The family drove more than four hours a day to bury their family members and services, back and forth between where they had moved and the affected area. Navigating the aftermath of that earthquake, just last week Turkey was hit by two more powerful earthquakes, measuring 6.4 and 5.8.

“It was kind of a disaster,” Benjoglari said.

From over 10,000 miles away, Bengogullari is now doing everything he can to support his family members who have already survived. On March 5, Purple Onion Grill will host a fundraiser with authentic, home-cooked Turkish food.

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“I’ll personally cook the meal, and I’ll cook it overnight. I’ll get up, and then I’ll do my final touch on it. The little Turkish touch,” Bengogliari said.

The fundraiser will start at 11:00 a.m. and will be $20 each featuring two main courses, one chicken and one beef, with a number of sides sprinkled with the “Turkish Touch.”

Bengogullari at FOX21 News will be the news partner of FOX31, sampling these dishes with Loving Living Local at 9 a.m. on March 3.

The day of the fundraiser, March 5, is also his birthday, but with the devastation of his homeland, celebrating his birthday is the last thing he can think of. Bengogullari calls the day bittersweet.

“The sweet part is that it’s my birthday. The bitter part is the benefit for a bad cause. I mean, it’s good, but it’s bad, because people, you know, lost their lives,” Benjoglari fought to get those words out, tears welling in his eyes.

The community has already shown its support for the Bengogullari family, raising over $15,000 through cash donations, drop boxes, and a GoFundMe page. Bengogullari has been able to send up to $4,000 USD per week in help and he is more than grateful. Each person’s names and donation amount are handwritten on several posters on the walls of the Purple Onion Grill.

The names of everyone who donated are handwritten. Handwritten names of everyone who donated.

Through Sunday’s fundraiser as well as a GoFundMe page, Bengogullari hopes to raise $50,000 to send to earthquake victims. One hundred percent of the money raised during the meal fundraiser will be donated.

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