"Knowing the trial date is set for early next year, and especially with all the court proceedings that are happening in the next couple months, people are still suffering," says Megan Sullivan of Aurora Rise.
Sullivan -- who sits on the board of Aurora Rise along with her father, Tom -- knows firsthand how difficult it can be. She lost her 27-year-old brother Alex in the shooting, which occurred at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises at the Aurora Century 16 theater on July 20, 2012. The Thor fundraiser is especially meaningful to her because Alex loved superhero movies and worked at the Aurora Movie Tavern. While she recognizes that setting foot inside a movie theater may be traumatic for some victims and survivors, it's the opposite for her.
"I've found it, for myself, to be very therapeutic and just another way to connect with my brother in a different place," says Sullivan, who has also found comfort in meditation and support groups, including a women's group she leads at the Aurora Strong Community Resilience Center. "I have a lot of great memories of going there with him."
Tickets for the event cost $10 and can be purchased on Aurora Rise's website. The organization provides funds to victims and survivors who apply for help with specific expenses, such as rent and utility bills.
Below, view the trailer for Thor: The Dark World, the sequel to 2011's Thor. For those of you unfamiliar with the hunky, hammer-wielding Avenger, we've also included a trailer that tells more of the superhero's back story.
More from our Aurora Theater Shooting archive: "Megan Sullivan on helping others after losing her brother Alex in the Aurora theater shooting."
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