Utah's Venezuelans to gather to mourn earthquake victims; funds sought to send aid

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Utah's Venezuelan community collected over 7,000 boxes of aid for earthquake victims in the South American country.
Now, funds are being raised to help send it.
Moreover, an event is planned for Sunday, Venezuelan Independence Day, to give the community a chance to gather and mourn the tragic event.

SALT LAKE CITY — As Venezuela reels from the aftermath of two devastating earthquakes, members of the community in Utah seek help to send around 200 pallets worth of donations collected in the state to serve those in need.

They're also planning an event for Sunday, Venezuelan Independence Day, to give the community a chance to gather and mourn the tragic event together.

"We'll have a moment of reflection together with a minute of silence, a prayer for Venezuela, a message of hope and a big symbolic hug to remind those who are suffering that they're not alone," reads a press release for Sunday's event, A Hug for Venezuela.

Organized by the Venezuelan Alliance of Utah, it's open to the public and goes from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. It will be held at Murray Park in Murray.

The undated photo shows donations for Venezuela being collected and organized in Murray. Utah's Venezuelan community will gather Sunday to mourn the victims of the earthquakes that hit the country. (Photo: Carlos Arévalo)

Magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on June 24 devastated the South American nation, leaving more than 2,200 people dead at last count and more than 11,000 people injured, according to the Associated Press. Efforts to find and rescue survivors trapped in rubble continue.

Members of Utah's Venezuelan community started collecting aid in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, gathering more than 7,000 boxes of goods, about 250 pallets worth of items, according to Frengy Alvarado, of Panas en Utah, who helped spearhead the effort. Panas en Utah is a social media operation geared to Utah's Latino community.

He said around 50 pallets will soon be sent to Utah, but monetary donations are needed to send the other 200 or so pallets. A group in Utah has been formed, Manos Solidarias, to accept donations to cover shipping costs. Funds can be sent via Zelle* at donations@manosolidarias.org, according to Alvarado, or call 720-636-6407 for more information.

For now, Alvarado is focused on getting the aid already collected in Utah to Venezuela. But the country will need more assistance going forward given the heavy damage the earthquakes caused. "People need to keep helping. They're going to need help, and it's going to be for a long time," he said.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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