Gabrielle Russon
The Pulse Memorial to honor the victims of an Orlando mass shooting could be on track to receive state funding.
The question is: How much?
The House proposes more than $197,000, while the Senate’s latest offer stands at double that, at more than $394,000.
It’s one of many details that needs to be hashed out in the Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development budget conference.
On June 12, 2016, a shooter murdered 49 people who had been dancing at the Pulse nightclub, a LGBTQ-friendly club south of downtown Orlando.
In the years since, Orlando has struggled to remember and honor the victims, hit with controversies and navigating the complexities from the deep emotions behind so much loss.
The onePulse Foundation raised millions of dollars and planned to build an elaborate $100 million museum that was controversial with some survivors and victims’ families. Then, the foundation collapsed, the plans were gone, and so was the money.
That has left Orlando city leaders trying to regroup and regain the public’s trust as it seeks to build a permanent memorial.
In February, the city released renderings of a $7.5 million memorial with a reflection pool, garden, indoor gathering space and survivors tribute wall.
The annual CommUNITY Rainbow 4.9K Run is taking place this week to help fundraise for the memorial.
“At the CommUNITY Rainbow Run we unite to honor the 49 angels, their families, the survivors, first responders and all those impacted,” the city’s website said. “This year, we run with renewed hope as the Pulse Memorial continues to move forward now that a conceptual design is complete, and an opening is expected in late 2027.”
But some have called on the community to boycott the run.
“While the CommUNITY Rainbow Run has been marketed by the City of Orlando as a heartfelt tribute to those impacted by the Pulse tragedy, serious concerns have emerged over the years about how this event is being run, who it truly benefits, and how the memory of the 49 lives lost is being used,” said a group calling themselves “Pulse Families and Survivors for Justice” in an email sent April 30.
