Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
All for love
Tennis event led by Douglas victim’s mom benefits schools.
PARKLAND — Locked arm in arm on a sunny afternoon, members of the Parkland community rallied together to help raise money for Make Schools Safe, a nonprofit organization created in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Spearheaded by Lori Alhadeff, whose 14-year-old daughter Alyssa was one of the 17 people killed in the Feb. 14 attack, more than 100 people congregated at Quigley Park for a day filled with tennis, shopping and a tree dedication in memory of those lost.
While she hadn’t finished a final count, Alhadeff said they raised at least $30,000 for Make Schools Safe.
“The love and support, everyone coming out here today, is amazing and incredible and helping with the healing process,” Alhadeff said.
The event kicked off in the morning with a tennis round robin and featured boutique
shopping, a raffle and luncheon for those in attendance.
While there was laughter and smiles abound, the day was an emotional one as well. After Alhadeff delivered a speech, she shared an embrace with her husband, Ilan, and then gathered the rest of the group together in a semi-circle. With arms locked, they swayed to the song “Shine
,” created by Stoneman Douglas students Sawyer Garrity and Andrea Pena, as the lyrics “Cause you’re not gonna knock us down / We’ll get back up again,” echoed through the pavilion.
Later in the afternoon, the Alhadeffs, along with family members of shooting victims Meadow Pollack and Gina Montalto, gathered together for a tree dedication. Standing side-by-side with father Andrew Pollack and mother Jennifer Montalto, they unveiled a plaque underneath the tree featuring the names of all 17 victims with the words “Always Remembered,” inscribed on the bottom.
“This is my home. Parkland is my home,” said Lori Alhadeff, who frequently plays tennis at the park. “For me to come here and to have a specific place to have a beautiful tree and a memorial plaque to have to reflect and remember Alyssa and the other 16 victims – it’s very caring and loving.”
Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky took part in the tree dedication ceremony and said she’s marveled at the resiliency of the community and how everyone has continued to step up.
“It’s one of the amazing things about our community,” Hunschofsky said. “People just show up to support in any way they can. No one wants to go through tragedy like this, but we’re fortunate this community is coming together and there to support each other.”
For Lori Alhadeff, she’s hoping Make Schools Safe can help prevent tragedies like the Parkland shooting from happening again.
“The mission is to make schools safe for all kids in all schools,” Lori said. “The money we’re raising is going to help go into something very specific a school might want. Once the schools put together their gameplan – implementing the money they already have – they might come to Make Schools Safe and say, ‘We need this and it costs this amount of money,’ and then Make Schools Safe could help to use the money made from – like today’s fundraiser – to pay for it.”
“It’s one of the amazing things about our community. People just show up to support in any way they can. No one wants to go through tragedy like this, but we’re fortunate this community is coming together and there to support each other.” Christine Hunschofsky, Parkland mayor