NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick and comedian, Ben Stiller, have teamed up with Turkish Airlines to help those suffering in Somalia.
After making and impassioned plea to Turkish Airlines on Wednesday, Kaepernick was able to convince the company to donate a plane to fly much needed food, water and medical supplies to Somalia. Kaepernick pleaded with the company saying in part “There’s an impending famine because of drought, politics, inaction of (non-government organizations) and lack of media attention.” The NFL star who gained worldwide notice when he knelt during the National Anthem also stated, “People are dying in Somalia right now that need our help.”
Friday Colin Kaepernick announced that Turkish Airlines had agreed to help by supplying a 60-ton cargo plane.
Now that the humanitarian and athlete has secured a plane to deliver aid, he is focused on securing the supplies to fill the plane. Kaepernick has teamed up with the Ben Stiller’s “Stiller Foundation”, to handle all the money and donations they receive. They’ve even set up a GoFundMe page called Love Army for Somalia to take donations for those in need in the African country.
USA Today reports that a drought in Somalia is causing an extreme famine of historical proportions. It is said at least 5 million people are affected. This month alone, it was reported that 110 people died in the same region within a 48-hour period.
The Love for Somalia GoFundMe page went up March 17th with a goal of raising $1 Million. As of now, the page has raised over $945,000. To donate visit https://www.gofundme.com/lovearmyforsomalia
Kaepernick is now a free agent and not expected to return to the San Francisco 49ers, it doesn’t seem like he is worried about how to spend his time.
Turkish Airlines is the only airline that flies from the U.S. to Somalia. Thank you, Turkish Airlines, for showing your company cares about more than profits, it cares about people.
