Nassim Khaled, right, leads a noon prayer session Friday, Oct.19, 2012, at the Islamic Center of Columbus.
During the month of Ramadan, the Islamic Society of Columbus is raising funds to pay for critical maintenance at the society, including replacing the furnace and water heater.
“The furnace is really the big one. It was 10 years old when we moved into the building back in I believe it was 2010,” Islamic Society of Columbus president Brian Sanders said. “Actually I was the president then when we moved in, so I remember all the lists of activities. But we’ve been able to keep it up and running but it’s at the end of its life expectancy so we’re focusing in on that.”
In addition to the furnace and water heater, ceiling tile replacement and replacing the masjid prayer carpet are two other items they are focusing fundraising efforts on. They hope to raise $40,000 for the furnace and water heater, $35,000 for the prayer carpet and $25,000 for ceiling tile replacement.
“(The fundraising period) doesn’t officially close, but the period that we’re targeting is during the month of Ramadan and Ramadan, we go by the moon sightings so it can end on March 20 or the 21st, I think it’s a Friday or Saturday,” Sanders said.
Lower priority fundraising efforts will also go towards maintenance on items that have deteriorated over time, plumbing issues and maintenance of their sidewalks and driveways.
Anyone is welcome to donate to the society. Sanders said they have received donations from in and out of state due to the mosque being the first and only one in the area.
“We typically reach out to people that may be in our distribution list and then we start reaching out typically to other masjids and everything but we’ve had donations from others outside of the Islamic community,” Sanders said.
To donate, visit iscindiana.org.
