Cape mother holds concert to benefit Stoneman Douglas Victims Fund

The pain of losing a child is all too real for Cape Coral mother Sandra Markowitz.

Markowitz started a nonprofit organization called “Paige Madison’s Band of Angels” to help raise money for education after her daughter was killed in a car crash in 2016.

Markowitz was in the process of planning a benefit concert when 17 students and faculty were killed on Feb. 14 in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.

“The next morning, I woke up and I thought, I can’t just do the fundraiser for our nonprofit,” Markowitz said.

She quickly decided to switch gears in an attempt to help those families in need and contacted the Broward County School Board and the superintendent’s office.

“It kind of resurrected a few of the feelings I had in the beginning, but in a good way because I was able to reach out to so many people,” Markowitz said.

Markowitz formed friendships with family members of the victims like Andrew Pollack.

“My daughter … I won’t be able to see again,” Pollack said.

Pollack’s daughter, Meadow, was one of the victims killed in the parkland massacre.

“Grief is a really hard thing no one trains you for it especially when it’s your child,” Markowitz said.

All of the proceeds at the concert will benefit the Stoneman Douglas Victims Fund.

“I know in my heart, as her mother, she’s smiling down right now and saying good job, you know, good job,” Markowitz said.

For event details, click here.