NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 27
sion to prevent funeral costs
from giving grieving parents
even more pain.
“Financial stress shouldn’t
be something that affects
your grief,” he says.
RAISING FUNDS
Pierced Forever Foundation
held its first fundrais-
ing event last month, a
squash tournament at the
Birmingham Athletic Club
that saw 60 players compete
for a good cause. Out of the
$25,000 raised over the last
three months, $15,000 came
from the event alone.
Now, Movitz hopes to do
the BAC tournament annu-
ally. He’s also planning a
second squash tournament
fundraising event for 2022
that will include a dinner as
well. An online shop on the
foundation’s website that sells
clothing and other items also
helps bring in donations.
Through the funds raised,
Movitz plans to address each
family’s needs that come to
the foundation for help on an
individual basis. Some fami-
lies, he says, may need assis-
tance with medical bills for a
terminally ill or injured child,
while others might need sup-
port with burial costs.
“
A proper burial can
cost up to $10,000,” Movitz
explains, “and the average is
about $7,000.” These figures,
he adds, don’t include med-
ical bills, which can create
even more financial stress for
grieving families.
As the Pierced Forever
Foundation continues to
grow, Movitz says he’ll keep
looking for new ways to help
parents who have lost babies
or children. “There’s a lot of
emotional support that I want
to give to the parents,
” he says,
“but I don’t want to go too fast.
I want it to be personal.
”
Currently, the Pierced
Forever Foundation aims to
serve families in a 25-mile
radius, but Movitz is open to
helping any grieving parent
or parents if the situation
occurs. “You can’t control
when and how often trage-
dies happen,” he says. “We’re
ready to help when someone
is in need.”
For more information or to donate
or shop, visit www.piercedforever.
com.
The first annual Pierce’s Cup squash tournament at the
Birmingham Athletic Club.
‘Let There Be Light’
a Kristallnacht
Memorial Nov. 9
On the night of Nov.
9-10, 1938, the Nazis organized
the murder of Jews and the
burning of 1,400 synagogues
and Jewish institutions in
Germany and Austria as part
of the Kristallnacht pogrom. It
was a seminal moment that led
to the Holocaust.
To mark this historical event
and to stand in protest against
the rise of antisemitic events
and hate crimes, International
March of the Living
announced the continuation of
its “Let There Be Light” global
initiative and invites individu-
als, institutions and houses of
worship to leave the lights on
during the night of Nov. 9, as
a symbol of mutual responsi-
bility and the shared struggle
against antisemitism, racism,
hatred and intolerance.
Last year, thousands
of houses of prayer across
the world took part in this
initiative and left a symbolic
light on during the night of
Nov. 9. Messages of hope were
projected onto the walls of
Jerusalem’s Old City and onto
Coventry Cathedral in Britain,
which was destroyed by the
Nazis during the Second World
War. Through this unique
virtual initiative, people around
the world can once again join
this important call to action.
To leave your message of
hope, visit kristallnacht.motl.
org.
Art from last year’s memorial