Campaign Launched to Benefit Family of Nick Alexander, Merch Manager Killed in Paris Terrorist Attacks

I’m at a loss for words on how to sum up what it means that 129 people were killed (and 352 more injured) in Paris on Friday. Our lives will be different forever. No one victim was any more important than any one other; they were all fans of music — WE are all fans of music — doing what they loved.

But, as metalheads, we always rally around our own, right? And that’s exactly what’s been done for Nick Alexander, a veteran merch manager who lost his life inside Le Bataclan on Friday while slinging merch for Eagles of Death Metal. Nick’s friend Miguel Benavides has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help Nick’s family defray some of the costs associated with this terrible time in their lives. How that money is spent is up to them, as Benavides explains in a statement on the GoFundMe page, but music fans the world over seem more than willing to help: the campaign easily eclipsed its goal of $25k, reaching an astounding $87k as of the time I’m writing this, just three days after launch:

I can say I was an acquaintance of Nick’s, and had a friendship that many of us have with those we meet at shows they, or we, are working on. I knew him to be an extremely good-natured, reliable, and nice person with whom I have crossed paths many times. We exchanged a lot of friendly conversation, and spent time together but I did not know him on the level that I knew many particular intimate details about his life and family outside of work.

Regardless, I do know how it is to suddenly lose people in life – and I know that when it comes to the horrible nuts and bolts of dealing with situations like this, one helpful thing that people can do is try to help cushion this one blow (it is certainly not the biggest), and it is in this spirit that I began the GoFundMe page early the morning after the attacks. I am amazed and so so thankful for the overwhelming response. It is obvious that the hearts of many others are in this as well.

Learn more about the GoFundMe campaign for Nick Alexander and donate here.

Also, separate from the GoFundMe campaign, British heavy metallers Saxon — for whom Nick worked merch in the past — are selling a special t-shirt design in tribute to Nick, the proceeds of which will also go to Nick’s family. Check out the shirt design below, and purchase it here.