Before Justin Moore headlined the inaugural #MSDCountryStrong concert benefiting Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schoolās MSD Fundāa charity honoring the heroes, victims and survivors of gun violence in schoolsāthe country star donated $30,000 to the fund on behalf of his family and crew.
In February 2018, a lone gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., killing 17 students and staff members and injuring 17 others.
Prior to his set on Sept. 21, Justin revealed the donation in a heartfelt speech as victims and their families joined him onstage.
āIām of the belief that when God allows you to have a platform like I have, youāre supposed to use it for good,ā said Justin. āIām a father of four. I send each and every one of them to school every day and drop them off. Usually itās late, but I drop them off each and everyday. My first prayer is that theyāll come home safe that afternoon. I canāt even fathom what these families up hereāand maybe some of you guysāhave had to deal with and the difficulty this has caused. So sorry for that. Iām not going to pretend to know what that feels like. Just know that from me and my camp that weāll be praying for your continued healing, and we hope and pray that one day, at some point, youāll see your loved ones again.ā
Before singing his 2011 No. 1 hit, āIf Heaven Wasnāt So Far Away,ā Justin dedicated the track to servicemen and women, security guards, nurses, police officers and teachers who have lost their lives.
āIāve got to be honest, Iāve done a lot of charity events over the years benefiting so many different things,ā said Justin. āIāll tell you what. This one has really touched me . . . having the opportunity here tonight to meet wives and dads and moms, brothers, sisters and sons and daughters. It really is touching, especially me being a father. It affects me.ā
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com