Before the MSU football team ran onto the field Saturday, students and supporters walked outside Spartan Stadium to raise awareness and money for earthquake victims in Pakistan and India.
The group of about 50 walkers marched through campus with signs and donation boxes for the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund, which helps assist the areas that were struck by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake on Oct. 8.
Carrying a microphone, Adil Ibrahim led the walk from the Union toward the stadium. Ibrahim, a psychology and physiology senior and event coordinator for the Pakistan Students Association, urged passers-by to donate a dollar and join the march effort.
"A dollar here will get you a Gatorade or something from a vending machine," Ibrahim said. "In Pakistan, that can get 30 pieces of bread and let five people survive another day."
Junaid Mattu, a finance freshman from Kashmir, a disputed region between Pakistan and India, said people must do as much as possible to spread awareness about the situation in that area.
"Our walk today is about helping the people and spreading the message that we are with (the earthquake victims)," said Mattu.
The walk began at the Union with an opening speech from MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon.
"This national disaster to fall on Pakistan is really devastating and affects these students deeply," Simon said. "This walk is a show of proud support."
Simon added that MSU community members should use available resources to aid the area hit by the earthquake, and be there in the long run with humanitarian gestures.
Bob Alexander, an East Lansing resident who spent two years in South India while in the Peace Corps, stressed the uniqueness of the situation in the affected area.
"When the tsunami happened, almost all of the victims died," said Alexander, who ran unsuccessfully in 2004 for the 8th District seat in the U.S. House. "The situation now is reverse. The victims are alive, but will freeze or starve to death without help."
The fundraising walk, which raised $1,300, is part of an ongoing effort by the Pakistan Students Association to raise money for earthquake victims. Prior to the walk, the group had raised about $800 on its Web site and about $10,000 combined from campus and community donations. The money will be put into a central account that has been set up with MSU and then given to the Edhi Foundation, a social welfare program in Pakistan.
The group also is taking clothing donations, especially blankets, coats and socks, said Shaheena Raheem, an osteopathic medicine graduate student and president of the Pakistan Students Association. Pakistan International Airlines will send the donated goods to Pakistan through the metro Detroit branch of the Pakistan Association of America.
As the walk continued past the stadium, more and more spectators heading to the football game joined in the effort. By the time the walk ended, about 20 people had joined the walk since its start.
"Today was amazing," Ibrahim said. "We were expecting between $800 and $1,000, so it's beyond my wildest dreams."
Mattu ended the event with a speech at the International Center.
"Let this be a thing that lasts for three months," he said. "Let's be proud in three months to say we made a difference."
