Wildcat volleyball player fundraises for earthquake victims

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — More than 21,000 people have died from earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.

Tens of thousands of people are reported to be injured and many are without homes.

RELATED: Aid, rescues in quake-hit Turkey, Syria

One University of Arizona student-athlete is trying to do her part to help her home country.

“My dad was sleeping at that time,” said Dilara Gedikoglu, a volleyball player at the University.

Gedikoglu’s dad felt the earthquake that killed thousands of people.

“They felt it, which is actually insane because we are like nine hours away from those cities,” said Gedikoglu.

Her family is safe, but for family and friends—it’s a different story.

“I just see people that I know that are dying that I know as in their name, they're dying, just really sad. I'm just-- right now blessed there's not any of my family, but it's still really sad because my country and I feel them,” Gedikoglu said.

Gedikoglu said she felt compelled to start fundraising on her own.

“Right now, those people are suffering. Like they lost everything. They lost their houses-- I just talked with my dad this morning, and two cities are gone,” Gedikoglu said.

She said her hometown is Alanya, Turkey and they have opened up their hospitals for survivors.

“They're like, getting those people and bringing them back to my hometown,” she said.

She urges people to have empathy and to donate what they can to help her country.

“At least maybe with that money that we are raising right now we can afford them food, clothes, shelters, heaters, medicines, diapers,” Gedikoglu said.

Over 17,600 people have died in Turkey with more than 3,300 people reported dead in Syria.