Title: 25 Cars for 25 Years — Honoring Alan at the MOVA Remembrance Parade

Athena Rayne Kostas
16 hours ago
1 min read

I had the honor of speaking at 25 Cars for 25 Years — a remembrance event hosted by the Manitoba Organization for Victim Assistance (MOVA) in honor of their 25th anniversary.

Families, friends, and supporters gathered to remember loved ones lost to homicide and to stand together in grief, solidarity, and strength.

I was there in memory of my son, Alan, who was taken from us in May of 2023.

Standing on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature, I shared my poem Severed Thread — a piece written in the raw early days of mourning, when writing became my only way forward. It helped me hold onto love in the face of unspeakable loss. Sharing those words in this space — surrounded by others who know this pain — was both heartbreaking and healing.

One of the most meaningful moments came at the close of the event. Each of us wrote the name of our loved one on a small card and planted it in the soil, part of what will soon grow into a memorial garden. In time, the space will bloom with flowers — a living tribute to those taken by violence, and a quiet place for remembrance and reflection.

Thank you to MOVA for 25 years of supporting survivors, holding space for grief, and helping us find strength in each other.

And thank you to everyone who came, who listened, who stood together.

We remember. We speak their names. We plant seeds of love.

And we walk forward — together.