Yassin's Falafel House owner headed to earthquake disaster zone, raises over $90K

Devarrick Turner, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read

Knoxville’s support for those affected by the powerful earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkey early this week extends beyond impressive fundraising to offering aid on the front lines.

Yassin's Falafel House owner Yassin Terou – whose brother Abed Alhadi and Alhadi's two children are among the earthquake survivors in Syria – will be headed to the Turkey-Syria border this week to help with relief efforts. He has some training in natural disaster relief and intends to set up soup kitchen stations to provide people with access to free food.

40 Under 40 Class of 2022 member Yassin Terou, owner of Yassin's Falafel House.
40 Under 40 Class of 2022 member Yassin Terou, owner of Yassin's Falafel House.

Terou will be joined by Andrew Randazzo, a medical team instructor and trained paramedic based in Knoxville. Randazzo is the founder and CEO of Prime Medical Training, a company the provides medical training and courses across Tennessee.

The two Knoxvillians will meet in Istanbul on Friday and make their way closer to the Turkey-Syria border, where a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and a series of strong aftershocks left more than 11,000 people dead and thousands of survivors without food or shelter amid snow and cold.

Andrew Randazzo, Executive Director, Prime Medical Training, 40 under 40 Class of 2020 nominee, pictured in Knoxville, Tenn. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020.
Andrew Randazzo, Executive Director, Prime Medical Training, 40 under 40 Class of 2020 nominee, pictured in Knoxville, Tenn. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020.

The disaster jolted Terou into action, and he immediately launched an online fundraiser to aid in emergency relief. The campaign raised more than $90,000 in 48 hours, surpassing its initial goal of $20,000 several times over. As of Wednesday afternoon, the goal had been raised to $100,000.

You can donate by going to launchgood.com/campaign/urgent_earthquake_response.

Terou left Syria in 2011 and opened his first Knoxville restaurant in 2014. Yassin's Falafel House has been named the "Nicest Place in America" by Reader's Digest, and the restaurateur has led similar relief efforts when tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee in 2020 and during the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter for Knox News. He can be reached by email at devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Follow Devarrick on Twitter @dturner1208. Enjoy exclusive content and premium perks while supporting strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxvillians head to Turkey-Syria border after devastating earthquakes