EDMONTON -- As family and friends of the 13 Edmonton residents killed in a shocking plane crash in Iran come to terms with their losses, the community is reminding them that they're not alone.
A GoFundMe page set up to collect donations for the families of the deceased passengers and establish a bursary in their honour had raised more than $29,000 of its $50,000 goal as of Saturday morning.
The fundraiser was launched by Shayesteh Majdnia, a former president of the Iranian Heritage Society of Edmonton.
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"During my years involved within the community, I got to meet and encounter many of those that we are hoping to honour," she said. "Without the community we've built together, we have nothing."
The fund will first be used to help pay for a memorial scheduled to take place at the University of Alberta Sunday.
After those expenses, the rest of the fund will go to an endowment fund for U of A graduated students in memory of the victims.
Members of Edmonton's Iranian community say the show of support is touching at an extremely difficult time.
"It's an emotional time for us here in Edmonton for the Iranian community and all Canadians," said Amir Ghahari, treasurer for the IHSE. "We received so much support in the aftermath of this tragedy."
A second GoFundMe page has been set up by the IHSE to be used for a memorial service for the victims, the victims families and the establishment of a scholarship at the U of A in memory of two professors killed in the crash.
More than $2,000 of it's $20,000 goal has been raised as of Saturday morning.
The memorial service will be held Sunday, Jan. 12 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Saville Community Sports Centre on the South Campus, U of A president David Turpin said in a statement.
"This tragedy has also been felt deeply in our city and in the local Iranian-Canadian community," said University of Alberta President David Turpin. "We…have been in conversation with the broader community on hosting a fitting tribute to those lost," he said.
CTV News has confirmed at least 13 Edmontonians were on board the plane when it crashed in Tehran, but the Iranian Heritage Society has estimated as many as 27 residents were killed.
Fifty-seven people on the flight had a Canadian passport and more than 100 had been flying to Canada.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Canadian government has intelligence indicating the plane was shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile, possibly by mistake.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the Iranian-Canadian community and beyond.
Edmonton is home to 4,165 people of Iranian origin, according to the 2016 federal census.
CTV News Edmonton will livestream the memorial service beginning at 3 p.m.
A list of confirmed Edmonton victims follows:
- Pouneh Gorji
- Arash Pourzarabi
- Pedram Mousavi
- Mojgan Daneshmand
- Darina Mousavi
- Darya Mousavi
- Shekoufeh Choupannejad
- Shayaesteh Madnia
- Saba Saadat
- Sara Saadat
- Amir Hossein Saeedinia
- Nasim Rahmanifar
- Elnaz Nabiyi
Correction:
Canadian officials had previously reported that 63 Canadians were killed on flight PS752. That number has since been revised to 57.
