Following the tragic earthquakes on February 6, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich announced that he is aiding a school for orphans in Turkey.
Popovich expressed his sympathy and condolences to those impacted by the disaster, which has claimed the lives of over 35,000 people in Turkey and over 5,800 in Syria, in a video shared on Twitter. He declared that he would contribute money to the Darussafaka Schools in Istanbul, which have housed and educated orphans since 1863 and are supported by donations.
“The one thing that I would ask.” If there is anybody capable of helping monetarily, find a way to do that,” the 74-year-old said, adding that he had lived for a year in Diyarbakir and travelled to places like Gaziantep while he was young.
Popovich has been the Spurs’ head coach since 1996 and has won the NBA championship five times: in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. He also coached the US men’s national team to a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Gregg Popovich has announced his support for Turkey in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that recently struck the country.
— Socrates (@SocratesDergi) February 14, 2023
He has pledged to donate to Darüşşafaka, an institution that has been providing education opportunities to orphaned children for over a century. pic.twitter.com/dyAs3jBhME