A Top 40 supplier in Canada is committed to helping those in desperate need.

As part of its philanthropic 1:1 Initiative, Stormtech (asi/89864) recently donated $500,000 worth of apparel, including jackets, thermal wear and sweaters, to victims of the 7.8-magnitude and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6. The natural disaster left more than 50,000 dead and thousands of structures completely destroyed. An estimated 1.5 million people, including 850,000 children, have been left homeless.

Stormtech staff prepare boxes of apparel to be shipped to Turkey.

The supplier in Burnaby, BC, collaborated with Bianca Fusco Zanatta, founder of Reach for Outer Space, a Canadian charitable organization that helps vulnerable families and children, as well as the Turkish Consulate General in Vancouver to get the apparel to impacted areas.

“The horrific tragedy has left many survivors without basic necessities, including warm clothing,” said Blake Annable, president and CEO of Stormtech. “As a company that has the means to make a small difference for some of these survivors, it’s our duty to contribute whatever we can.”

A mother and her child in Hatay Province, Turkey, on Feb. 7, the day after two major earthquakes hit the area. Approximately 850,000 children have been displaced from their homes.

As part of its 1:1 Initiative, Stormtech donates 1% of global sales to charitable programs that mainly focus on outdoor exploration and environmental stewardship.

In recent weeks, companies across the industry have coordinated fundraisers and donations for earthquake relief. Phil Koosed, chief strategy officer at Superior Group of Companies, parent company of Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431), has been working to get medical and humanitarian aid to Syria as part of his organization Save the Syrian Children, a nonprofit he spearheads with his wife, Tamar.