ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando mayor penned a letter sent to families of Pulse victims and survivors to ask for their input on a permanent memorial the city is planning.
The city purchased the Pulse nightclub property in October, after a tumultuous series of events over the summer that slowed down the construction of a memorial honoring those killed on June 12, 2016.
The onePulse Foundation, which spearheaded the memorial and museum efforts soon after the shooting, announced in April 2023 it was splitting up with Barbara Poma, who founded the organization.
In a letter, Mayor Buddy Dyer invited families of victims and survivors to provide input in the permanent memorial.
“With your input and engagement, we will move forward with the creation of a permanent memorial that honors and pays tribute to the memories of the 49 and serves as a place of solemn reflection where those directly impacted by this tragedy and our entire community can go to remember. Your input is vital to this process. In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to you about opportunities to share your suggestions on the creation of the permanent memorial,” Dyer wrote.
Dyer also said the city is in the early planning stages for the Pulse remembrance ceremony and CommUNITY Rainbow Run in June. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 12, and the CommUNITY Rainbow Run will happen on June 8.
“Our hope is that the tradition of these two annual events will continue to help our community heal and grow,” the mayor said.
At the end of last year, Dyer said he wanted to ensure the permanent memorial is in place by the 10-year remembrance of the tragedy.
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