Interim memorial unveiled: ‘We have truly just begun’
The “interim” memorial to honor the victims and survivors of the Pulse nightclub massacre was unveiled Tuesday by the one PULSE Foundation.
During a dedication ceremony, Pulse nightclub owner and foundation founder Barbara Poma thanked local companies that contributed to the project. She also praised the survivors, first-responders and family members of victims who helped guide its design.
“They gave selflessly to make decisions for those who could not,” she said.
The interim memorial at Pulse nightclub, 1912 S. Orange Ave., opened to the public at 3 p.m. — just more than a month before second anniversary of the mass shooting that claimed 49 lives and injured dozens.
A collage of colorful photos and commemorative art, including many images depicting LGBTQ pride events and vigils held after the 2016 massacre, adorn the wall that now wraps around the nightclub. Visitors can sign a guestbook and leave a message at the digital board in front of the mural. They can also leave their signature under the black Pulse sign along the roadside.
In a statement, foundation said it hoped the temporary place will “give families, survivors, first responders and the thousands of people who come each year a space to pay their respects and reflect.”
Planning and design for a permanent memorial and museum is underway.
Poma quoted the Dalai Lama in praising the community’s support for the memorial project: “He says, ‘Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.’ I really do feel that everyone here is a reflection of that statement.”
Poma said the design emerged directly from the input of those affected by the Pulse massacre.
“Everything you will experience here is intentional,” she said. “It has purpose.”
The Orlando City Council approved the design for the interim space in October, including a wood fence around the club, lighted benches and a perforated steel wall for visitors to leave mementos. Construction began on Feb. 26.
The foundation has been working with the Orange County Regional History Center to collect and preserve for the permanent memorial the various works of art, messages and other remembrances left behind at the site by visitors.
Christina Hite, president of Dix.Hite + Partners landscape architects, which donated its services, said more help will be needed to make the final version of the Pulse site a reality. “We need all of your help in reaching our dream for a permanent memorial museum that meets the vision of all stakeholders,” she said.
Poma stressed that the interim design is just that – and a long road lies ahead.
“I ask you to realize that we have truly just begun. … This is our responsibility. It is our legacy for all future generations,” she said. “This is part of both Orlando and world history and it’s going to take all of us to get it done right.”
After the ceremony, Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said the temporary space would give Orlando residents and Pulse survivors a muchneeded space to reflect.
“As a gay, Latino man who lives here in Orlando there’s no way that this tragedy couldn’t have been deeply deeply personal for me,” Smith said. “We can’t forget what happened here on the darkest day of our city’s history.. it’s also part of our world and human history.”
But the celebration also brought back difficult memories for Carla Montañez Rosario, whose friend Leroy Valentín Fernández, 25, died in the mass shooting.
“When you’re here, your mind gets blocked so you’re here but you’re not listening so the only thing that’s going through my mind is memories and reminiscing,” said Montañez Rosario, 33. “He was my rock, my best friend. It means the world to me to see his picture there. He always wanted to be known.”