City of Orlando to honor 49 Pulse nightclub shooting victims at 8-year remembrance ceremony
By Averi Kremposky
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ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — The city of Orlando is inviting the community to join together eight years after the Pulse nightclub shooting to remember and honor the 49 people lost.
The event is held every year on June 12 to honor the victims, their families, survivors, first responders, trauma teams and all those impacted by the Pulse tragedy.
On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed after a man opened fire at Pulse nightclub — marking one of the worst mass shootings in America and the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ+ community.
The ceremony will be preceded by the ringing of 49 bells at First United Methodist Church Orlando, which begins at 4 p.m.
The tolling of the bells is part of a One Orlando Alliance movement called “Acts of Love and Kindness,” which was inspired by the good deeds witnessed in the aftermath of the Pulse shooting. The movement continues to inspire the community to show support through the spirit of giving.
At 7 p.m., the remembrance ceremony will begin at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Admission to the ceremony is free, but a ticket is required for attendance.
The ceremony will also be streamed for those who cannot attend in person.
The remembrance ceremony is not the only way the city is honoring victims on the 8-year commemoration of the shooting. An exhibition of prayer ribbons went on display at Harry P. Leu Gardens and Orlando City Hall Plaza on Monday, and will remain on display until Sunday.
The exhibition, which comes from a philanthropic organization in Massachusetts, features the names of the 49 victims written in gold on black ribbons and messages of hope on colorful ribbons.
Provincetown Community Compact, who introduced the ribbons in the 1990s to commemorate those who lost their battle with AIDs, have continually crafted and sent colorful prayer ribbons to Orlando to memorialize the 49 victims.
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