ISTANBUL, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish football fans threw thousands of stuffed toy bears onto the pitch during a match Sunday evening for young victims of southern Türkiye's deadly earthquakes earlier this month.

The Besiktas Sports Club, one of Istanbul's three premier teams, organized the "This Toy Is For You My Friend" campaign for its match against Antalyaspor which ended 0-0, urging fans to bring stuffed animals, scarves, and warm headgear to the stands to "cheer up" children in the affected areas.

The game was paused at precisely 4 minutes and 17 seconds in memory of the first earthquake, which hit at 04:17 a.m. local time on February 6. During the pause, fans threw their donations on to pitch to be collected by staff.

"We thank our fans for taking part in this meaningful activity," Besiktas wrote in a statement afterward.

The toy drive was not the only earthquake-related event at the match. Young survivors of the earthquakes came out with the players in a pre-game ceremony alongside a banner that read, "I won't abandon you Türkiye."

The Besiktas sports club has also set up tent cities for earthquake victims in the southern provinces of Kahramanmaras and Hatay, two of the worst-hit provinces. These tent cities provide shelter, basic amenities for victims, and entertainment for children.