Many students wouldn’t believe that playing chess or Twister could benefit victims of genocide, but that is exactly what happened yesterday.
The Foundation for International Medical Relief for Children (FIMRC), a new student organization, held a “game day” yesterday. Participants could donate money to go towards relief for the genocide in Darfur. Those who donated could enjoy activities like chess against a professor or face painting.
“We wanted to do something that people could have fun with and could be involved with,” said Meira Yasin, president of the FIMRC. Yasin saw this event as a non-traditional fundraiser.
The game day began at 11 a.m. yesterday. Originally the plan was to have the games outside, but the rainy weather changed the location to the CAVE in the lower level of the D.P. Culp Center.
Yasin is planning to send the money that was raised to Darfur through UNICEF if another independent organization cannot be found. The FIMRC wants to make sure that the money gets to the families that need it.
“There are certain organizations that take the money and use it to pay their workers and only a little of it goes where it’s supposed to, to help the people,” said Yasin, “So we’re trying to make sure that it goes to a good organization.”
Ada Miranda, a nursing major, was surprised by the response that students gave when asked to donate money for Darfur.
“Some people even went to the ATM and got money out. I thought that was just extremely nice,” said Miranda.
Marie Porterfield, a painting major, contributed to the Game Day by painting designs on hands and faces.
“I have to find a way to bring art into everything,” said Porterfield. “It’s fun because all of the people’s personalities in the club come into play when we do things like this.”
The reasons behind raising money for Darfur varied from person to person.
“It’s horrible to think about this place on the earth that people can’t escape from,” said Porterfield, “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be trapped like that. Even in the refugee camps, they’re not safe all the time.”
Aytan Gurzaliyeva, from Azerbaijan, has personal experience with refugee camps. This led her to be more understanding about the crisis in Sudan. Due to conflicts with Iran, many people in Azerbaijan have also been displaced into refugee camps.
“This summer I went around to a lot of refugee camps. It changed my career, I guess, because I want to go into peacekeeping now,” said Gurzaliyeva.
Last summer she worked with British Petroleum Co.’s Communications and External Affairs department. BP sent her to work with other non-governmental organizations. She traveled around Azerbaijan and at one point worked with the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR and went to internal displacement camps.
“It is kind of close to me, because I’ve seen a lot of people who’ve suffered from these conflicts,” said Gurzaliyeva.
Overall, donations from the day amounted to $175.
In the future possible plans for the FIMRC include a Guitar Hero tournament and possibly another game day.

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