Pulse Tragedy

#OrlandoStrong

Southwest Businesses & Residents Unite

In the early morning hours of June 12, Omar Mateen opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub, killing 49 people and injuring 53 in a domestic terrorism attack that resulted in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. In the days and weeks that followed, the Orlando community banded together in an outpouring of love and support. The Southwest community has been no exception. From fundraisers to blood donations to acts of kindness, residents and business owners have proven to the world that we will not be broken, and our love for our neighbors stays strong.

Support Organizations & Fundraisers

In response to the onslaught of community members seeking to provide financial support for the victims and their families, the city of Orlando formed the OneOrlando Fund, as well as the OneOrlando Board, to ensure that funds are dispersed in a timely, accountable and transparent manner. Orlando Magic President Alex Martins was named board chairman, and other board members are community leaders, including those in the Hispanic and LGBT communities most directly impacted.

Equality Florida, the state’s LGBT civil rights organization, released its official page for donations: gofundme.com/pulsevictimsfund. Funds raised on this page will go directly to the victims and families affected.

In Memory Of

Stanley Almodovar III, 23

Amanda Alvear, 25

Oscar A. AracenaMontero, 26

Rodolfo AyalaAyala, 33

Antonio Davon Brown, 29

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29

Angel L. CandelarioPadro, 28

Juan ChevezMartinez, 25

Luis Daniel Conde, 39

Cory James Connell, 21

Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25

Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31

Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26

Peter O. GonzalezCruz, 22

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22

Paul Terrell Henry, 41

Frank Hernandez, 27

Miguel Angel Honorato, 30

Javier JorgeReyes, 40

Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30

Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25

Kimberly Morris, 37

Akyra Monet Murray, 18

Luis Omar OcasioCapo, 20

Geraldo A. OrtizJimenez, 25

Eric Ivan OrtizRivera, 36

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35

Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25

Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24

Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33

Martin Benitez Torres, 33

Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24

Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37

Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50

Luis S. Vielma, 22

Luis Daniel WilsonLeon, 37

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31

In the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub attack, LGBT leaders in Orlando came together to form The LGBTQ Alliance. They created The HealOrlando Project to help survivors and victims’ families get the help they need. They also launched healorlando.org to offer help to the surrounding communities with resources for those affected by the shooting. Through the website, residents can seek necessary resources or offer their assistance.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the city of Orlando, in partnership with federal, state, local and community agencies, opened the Family Assistance Center at Camping World Stadium, formerly the Orlando Citrus Bowl, to address the immediate needs and provide information, support and resources to those directly affected by the Pulse tragedy. Services were provided to family members of the victims, those suffering physical and emotional injuries, club staff and patrons, and others directly impacted.

Mayor Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs of Southwest Orlando announced the opening of the Orlando United Assistance Center at 507 E. Michigan St. in Orlando, for long-term support. The center is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Those in need can set up an appointment by calling 407-500-HOPE.

Local Business Contributions

Pincho Factory at 7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Suite 102, Orlando, donated 15 percent of all its sales during the week of June 13-19 to the Pulse Victims Fund on gofundme.com. “The city of Orlando embraced us in such an amazing way, we knew we had to do something to show our support,” said Otto Othman, co-owner of Pincho Factory, which opened its doors in Dr. Phillips this past March.

Hard Rock Live at Universal City Walk hosted the All Is One Orlando Unity Concert on June 22. Grammy award-winners Imagine Dragons and Nate Ruess headlined the event. One hundred percent of the ticket sales directly benefited the OneOrlando Fund.

To Write Love On Her Arms, an organization originally set up to help pay for addiction treatment for a friend, is raising money to help fund ongoing grief-counseling sessions through Solace Counseling, Zebra Coalition and the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida. For each Rainbow Title Shirt and Rainbow Title Tank sold, a portion of the proceeds is donated to the counseling organizations. TWLOHA has also set up a fundraising page at www.classy.org/events/hope-help-for-orlando/e84185 on the web for people to donate directly to help fund grief counseling. Shirts can be purchased at store.twloha.com on the web.

Organizers of the world-renowned Heroes & Villains Fan Fest and Walker Stalker Con events, including Orlando natives James Frazier and Jackie Prutsman, announced a one-day event with the stars from popular TV shows, including The Walking Dead, Arrow and many more, on Sept. 17. All profits from ticket sales, autographs, professional photo ops, and vendor sales will be donated to the OneOrlando Fund.

In a combined effort, the NBA’s Orlando Magic, MLS’s Orlando City, NWSL’s Orlando Pride, ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, and AFL’s Orlando Predators joined forces to sell T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “#OrlandoUnited.” Net proceeds are to be donated to the OneOrlando Fund. Orlando Magic has also committed $100,000 to the OneOrlando Fund.

Walt Disney Co. officials announced a $1 million cash commitment to the OneOrlando Fund. In addition, eligible donations from Disney employees will be matched dollar for dollar by Disney Employee Matching Gifts: A Program of The Walt Disney Company Foundation. Walt Disney World Resort also worked with other Central Florida agencies and leaders to provide support. In coordination with OneBlood, cast members and other resort employees wishing to donate blood were able to at five designated locations across the resort property. Through an effort led by the city of Orlando and the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, the resort provided complimentary accommodations for families and friends of the victims.

On June 18, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, located in Pointe Orlando on International Drive, hosted a special late-night event titled Bailamos Unidos (We Dance United). One hundred percent of the night’s cover charge was donated to OneOrlando Fund. “We are eager to provide support however we can, and our hearts are with those who have been affected by this tragedy,” said Barry Gutin, principal and co-founder of Cuba Libre. “We are Orlando Strong.” The night featured disc jockeys spinning merengue, salsa, bachata and Latin open format music, during which the restaurant transformed into a lively dance club. Guests were encouraged to donate additional funds to the OneOrlando Fund at the door.

Theatre South Orlando performed Believe, a family-friendly musical benefit concert of love and hope, at the new Rosen Events Center on June 26. Entry to the concert was through donations to the OneOrlando Fund. Mad Cow Theatre and other theater and arts organizations raffled items at the event.

Rosen JCC also hosted a family communal and remembrance ceremony June 22. Children pre-K and above were invited to create special art to express their love and compassion for one another and the community. A candlelight vigil was held in honor of the Pulse victims.

Greater Orlando Trauma Recovery Network is helping survivors heal from the devastating incident. The local TRN consists of highly trained, licensed and professional trauma therapists who use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy to help individuals process traumatic experiences. Realizing that other community resources may be limited or take considerable time to access, local TRN is offering up to five hours of free EMDR treatment to those directly involved in the Pulse tragedy, as well as family and friends who are deeply affected. Services can be accessed at any time for up to a year after the event, as symptoms may have a delayed onset. Anyone in need of the services should call the TRN referral line at 321-233-6365 or visit goemdrian.org on the web.

In the spirit of positivity, a few local partners in the attraction and hospitality industry pulled together to launch the #WhatILoveAboutOrlando social media campaign and contest. Locals, tourists, business owners — anyone and everyone with a special place in their hearts for Orlando — are invited to share their passion for the City Beautiful and what they love about Orlando using #WhatILoveAboutOrlando and tagging Orlando Attractions United on Facebook, @OrlandoUnites on Twitter, and @OrlandoAttractionsUnited on Instagram. The contest for which post receives the most likes, shares, retweets, etc., is running for three consecutive weeks, ending July 12. Each weekly winner receives a grand-prize package with contributions from Fairfield Inn & Suites, Fun Spot America, Gatorland, IDrive 360, iFly Orlando, Pirates Cove Adventure Golf, Putting Edge, Ripleys Believe It or Not, Skeletons: Animals Unveiled, and Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows. For more information and official contest rules, visit sleuthsorlando.blogspot.com on the web.

Dan Newlin & Partners on Sand Lake Road is honoring the victims of Pulse by using TV commercial spots to sponsor a moment of silence.

Universal Orlando Resort parent company NBCUniversal donated $1 million to the OneOrlando Fund. “Like so many other organizations and families in Orlando, those of us at Universal Orlando have lost people who were close to us — team members and members of our extended family,” said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts. “We are doing everything we can to take care of the families of those we lost and of all our team members as they grieve.”

Resident Donations & Responses

Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh shared a message with Orange County residents expressing condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the Pulse victims, his pride in the loving reactions of the community, and his thanks to the first responders who demonstrated acts of heroism. He also provided information about the OneOrlando Fund for those who wish to help. “We will not allow Orange County to be paralyzed by fear,” Singh said. “We will not allow our neighbors to mourn alone. As we move forward to try to heal, it will be together, as a strong, unified force of all that is good in this world.”

The Monday morning after the horrifying weekend, local artists met to share their grief and plan a way they could use their expression to support the community, first responders, victims and their families. Co-led by Joshua Vickery of Central Florida Community Arts, Cole NeSmith of Creative City Project, Mitzi Maxwell of Mad Cow Theater, Robert Hill of Orlando Ballet, and Eric Jacobsen of Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, more than 50 art groups came together to create a memorial event with a wide range of artistic styles. Beautiful Together, an artistic journey toward hope was held June 28 in the Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. All proceeds went to the OneOrlando Fund along with additional donations.

Corinne Adams of Wesmere found it hard to show her support in other fashions, such as donating blood or attending vigils, while taking care of her 2-year-old son, leaving her with a feeling of helplessness. She chose to participate in the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild’s project to collect a minimum of 102 quilts to be donated — one for each survivor, and one for the families of each victim. Any quilts that surpass that number will be given to first responders and then distributed to the LGBT community in Orlando via organizations like the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida and Zebra Coalition. Rainbow hearts are the design theme, and it is open to anyone to contribute quilts or blocks. Blocks for the project are due Aug. 15, and quilts are due Sept. 15. For more information or to participate, visit theorlandomodernquiltguild.blogspot.com on the web.

Charlie Sharp, a dad from Cub Scout Pack 84, conceived and ran a project to make cards with caring messages and put together care packages for the families of recovering victims, as well as those of the deceased. He was able to organize Cub Scout Pack 84, Boy Scout Troop 84, Cub Scout Pack 496, Troop 225 and several Girl Scout troops from the Dr. Win Service Unit, as well as additional community members, to complete the project. Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando provided a place for the Scouts to work. Care packages included coloring books, crayons, bottled water, playing cards and the group’s cards.

Winter Garden resident Amanda Salisbury’s three children — Gavin, Jacquelyn and Victoria — decided to spread love and kindness in the community by making hearts. What started as a small project ballooned into an outpouring of love well beyond their expectations. The hearts are being handed out in the community with instructions to hang them where others can see them and be encouraged. They are also accepting donations of ribbon, stuffing, felt and small mailing envelopes. For more information, visit their page at www.facebook.com/childrenmakingadifferencewithlove on the web. 💓