Florida Sports Unite for Orlando

Words cannot describe the devastation that last week’s horrific Orlando terror attack at the Pulse nightclub caused. The worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history saw 49 people lose their lives and over 50 others injured at the hands of a lone gunman (whose name will not be mentioned since I refuse to give him any recognition). Unfortunately, we’ve had to endure these mass shootings and other terrorist attacks globally more and more in just a short amount of time. From the attacks in Paris to those in Belgium, mass shootings in San Bernardino to the gruesome killings at a Charleston church, among others, evil has shown its’ true self. However, for me personally, this time it’s different. This time it happened in my own backyard.

I’ve lived in/near Orlando, Florida, for as long as I can remember and I can honestly say that you never fully feel the effect of a terror attack until it hits home. I did not lose anyone personally from this horrific event but it’s almost impossible to not know someone who did. I mourn for their loss. Pulse is a very popular gay nightclub in Orlando and it’s clear that this was an attack targeted at our LGBTQ community. The gunman may have targeted Pulse specifically for his hatred of the gay community but in the end, this was an attack on America. Evil may walk among us but it will never conquer love. The outpour of support in the Orlando community and across the world is evident of that.

The citizens of Orlando have united in a way that is indescribable. The love and support from across the nation and other countries reaching out to support Orlando has been phenomenal. To see thousands of people line up in the streets to show their support is truly remarkable. It has been an eerie feeling this past week for sure. The attack at Pulse was not the only tragic event to occur in Orlando this week. On Friday night before the attack, an obsessed fan of up and coming singing star Christina Grimmie shot and killed her at the Plaza Live theater while she was signing autographs. Grimmie was on the cusp of making a name for herself, after appearing on NBC’s “The Voice.” She was just 22 years old.

Tragedy struck even further Tuesday night when a 2-year old boy was attacked by an alligator while playing in the water outside of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. The boy and his family had been vacationing from Nebraska. Disney has always been known as the happiest and safest place on Earth. It’s the first attack at Disney in their 44-year history. The child and his father had been playing in the water when the attack occurred. ‘No Swimming’ signs were posted across the man-made lagoon but splashing and playing along the edge, just ankle deep, seemed harmless enough. The father tried his best to wrestle his son away from the gator but was unsuccessful. The boy’s body was found the following afternoon. The tragic story is heartbreaking to say the least.

Orlando was hit harder than ever this week. In times like these, sports are an afterthought. Monday night was game 5 of the NBA Finals and an opportunity for the Golden State Warriors to wrap up back-to-back titles. Normally, I’d had been full of excitement in anticipation but throughout the day Monday I honestly could have cared less. The attack at Pulse was all that was on my mind. Even when someone tried to bring up sports in conversation my heart was just not in it. The Warriors, obviously, still haven’t capitalized on their opportunity with a decisive game 7 setup for Sunday night.

Sports may be the afterthought in these cases, they still help to unite people and cope with the realities going on. Someone once told me that if you need sports to help get through a tragic time then there’s something wrong with you. I couldn’t disagree more. Sports won’t change what happened, obviously, but they do bring people together and can help one get their mind off of things, even if just for a couple of hours. It worked for me. I still watched game 5 Monday night out with some friends, and it helped us to enjoy life a little despite everything that was going on. Florida sports teams are doing all that they can during this time to help.

The Orlando Magic, Orlando City Soccer, and Orlando Pride, have teamed up to raise money for the victims families. The local Orlando Solar Bears ice hockey team and Orlando Predators arena football squad have joined the major teams as well to help out. Each team is selling t-shirts with the “#OrlandoUnited” slogan with a rainbow heart in the center to help raise the money. The support has been enormous, with the Magic even reporting they sold out of shirts on the first day within 30 minutes. All of the proceeds are going to the victims families. In addition to the t-shirts, teams have made their own contributions as well. The Magic announced they contributed $100,000 to the OneOrlando Fund and that the DeVos family, who own the Magic, contributed $400,000. Orlando City will host their first game since the attack in what is expected to be an emotional event. The game is scheduled to be suspended during the 49th minute for a moment of a silence to honor the 49 victims who lost their lives. The team has also changed the colors of their stadium chart when purchasing tickets online to resemble a rainbow in honor. There are also reports the team plans to dedicate 49 seats in their new stadium and paint those to resemble a rainbow.

The Tampa Bay Rays held their annual Pride Night on Friday with proceeds going to the families as well. The response was a sell-out crowd, which if you know anything about the Rays, is not something they typically ever come close to achieving. Billy Bean (no, not the one from ‘Moneyball’), the only openly gay professional baseball player at any time, was scheduled to throw out the first pitch at Tropicana Field, but in light of the events decided against it. Major League Baseball has announced they are donating $100,000 to help fund. Teams across the country gave a moment of silence to show their respects. Sports stars from all over have taken to social media to give their respects as well. Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blake Bortles grew up in Orlando and attended college at UCF. He’s pledged to donate $10,000, and is beyond proud of the level of support Orlando has received.

“It’s been inspirational to see the way the city of Orlando has rallied around these families, and I wanted to contribute.”

The U.S. Men’s National Soccer team also held a moment of silence before their quarterfinal match against Ecuador this past Thursday night at Copa America. The team also made a video along with the women’s national team to express the nation’s choice to unite. The U.S. has used the slogan “One Nation. One Team” in the past. However, the video this time ends simply with One Nation.

Of course, the support for Orlando goes far beyond just sports. Disney has donated an astonishing $1 million to support. Darden Restaurants have donated another $500,000. Countless other donations from all over. The OneOrlando Fund has raised over $7 million thus far and that doesn’t even count the other GoFundMe accounts for the Orlando victims. The support is everywhere. It’s been the worst week Orlando has seen but I’ve never been more proud to live here. People have come together to do whatever they can to help. They’ve lined up for blocks to stand in line for hours to give blood in blistering hot weather. They’ve crowded the streets to express their love at candlelight vigils. It’s shown what it really means to be Orlando Strong. It’s not just a hashtag, it’s a choice. A choice that we will stand and fight against evil no matter what, no matter where. We are all Orlando Strong.

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