Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando was filled with love Saturday morning. It’s been almost eight years since the massacre that forever changed Orlando.The CommUNITY Rainbow Run helped residents come together to honor the 49 lives taken and all those impacted by the Pulse tragedy. This year’s race has a new location and route. It moved from Wadeview Park to Orlando City Hall Plaza, located at 400 South Orange Ave., in downtown Orlando. Runners started at City Hall Plaza, went down Orange Avenue to Esther Avenue and back to the plaza.Forty-nine lives were taken in the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and dozens were injured on Jun. 12, 2016.Orlando Mayor Buddy Dryer says this race is showing the city’s kindness, compassion and commitment to inclusion. A week of remembrance for the victims, their families, first responders, and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community kicked off Saturday.Thousands filled the streets of Orlando with pride, running, walking, showing support for the LGBTQ+ community and honoring those affected by the Pulse Nightclub shooting. John Larese is a relative of Eddie Justice and Jason Josaphat, two of the 49 victims who were killed at the Pulse nightclub.“It still affects our family every day, and Eddie’s mother is grieving every single day. We all go on with our lives, but they are left to grieve every single day,” said Larese. This is the first year the city is hosting the CommUNITY Rainbow Run after the One Pulse Foundation dissolved. On Friday, the city of Orlando announced it had hired a company to help put together a committee with survivors, family members and people from the community.The plan is to pick the committee this month, start meeting in July, and have a design concept for a permanent memorial by the end of the year. “It feels great that we finally have a concrete plan and that we are going in the right direction,” said Brian Zieth, who attended the run. The city said the meetings will be public and can be seen in person or online. And in contrast to previous efforts by other organizations, the city said feedback is welcome from everybody. Dyer said all the proceeds from the run will go toward the memorial.
Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando was filled with love Saturday morning. It’s been almost eight years since the massacre that forever changed Orlando.
The CommUNITY Rainbow Run helped residents come together to honor the 49 lives taken and all those impacted by the Pulse tragedy.
This year’s race has a new location and route. It moved from Wadeview Park to Orlando City Hall Plaza, located at 400 South Orange Ave., in downtown Orlando.
Runners started at City Hall Plaza, went down Orange Avenue to Esther Avenue and back to the plaza.
Forty-nine lives were taken in the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and dozens were injured on Jun. 12, 2016.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dryer says this race is showing the city’s kindness, compassion and commitment to inclusion.
A week of remembrance for the victims, their families, first responders, and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community kicked off Saturday.
Thousands filled the streets of Orlando with pride, running, walking, showing support for the LGBTQ+ community and honoring those affected by the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
John Larese is a relative of Eddie Justice and Jason Josaphat, two of the 49 victims who were killed at the Pulse nightclub.
“It still affects our family every day, and Eddie’s mother is grieving every single day. We all go on with our lives, but they are left to grieve every single day,” said Larese.
This is the first year the city is hosting the CommUNITY Rainbow Run after the One Pulse Foundation dissolved.
On Friday, the city of Orlando announced it had hired a company to help put together a committee with survivors, family members and people from the community.
The plan is to pick the committee this month, start meeting in July, and have a design concept for a permanent memorial by the end of the year.
“It feels great that we finally have a concrete plan and that we are going in the right direction,” said Brian Zieth, who attended the run.
The city said the meetings will be public and can be seen in person or online. And in contrast to previous efforts by other organizations, the city said feedback is welcome from everybody.
Dyer said all the proceeds from the run will go toward the memorial.
