Canadian couple cancel wedding to donate money to help Syrian refugees

A couple have cancelled their expensive wedding to donate money to help the plight of Syrian refugees settling in their country.

Canadians Samantha Jackson and Farzin Yousef decided to give the cash they would have spent on their nuptials to charity after being moved by the photo of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy found dead on a Turkish beach in September 2015.

A beach event held in memory of Aylan Kurdi and other refugees, 4 September 2015

The couple, who got engaged in the summer of 2014, had already booked the venue, hired a caterer and drawn up a guest list of 130 people. But instead of going through with the lavish wedding, they cancelled it all and had a small reception at Toronto’s City Hall last month (October 2015).

Toronto’s City Hall

Said Jackson,

"We were in the midst of wedding planning in September when that devastating photo of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi found on a beach came out. Like so many other people, we became acutely aware of how bad the situation was getting and how important it was to act and do something positive, so we cancelled the wedding and redirected the funds."

Syrian refugees at Budapest Keleti railway station, 4 September 2015

The couple volunteer for Ryerson University Lifeline Syria Challenge, which has been raising money to help cover essential costs for Syrian families resettling in the area. So far the newlyweds have raised $17,500 towards the cause.

Ryerson University facilities at Toronto Eaton Centre – the university is behind the Lifeline Syria Challenge where Samantha Jackson and Farzin Yousef volunteer

Added Jackson,

"Our family and friends were absolutely thrilled and supportive… and rather than giving the traditional gift, they made donations to help fund our sponsorship of a Syrian refugee family. Our wedding was perfect…and it was definitely the perfect way to start our marriage.”

(All images - credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)