The Orlando Magic are dedicating opening night, Oct. 26 against the Miami Heat, to the victims of this summer’s shooting at Pulse Nightclub.
The Orlando Magic will dedicate their opening night, Oct. 26 against the Miami Heat, to the victims of this summer’s tragic mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub, the team announced Tuesday.
The City of Orlando is still healing in many ways following the mass shooting at the popular and iconic gay night club near Downtown Orlando that killed 49 clubgoers.
The Magic will spend their opening night honoring the victims, their families and first responders from that terrifying evening this summer.
Orlando will host survivors, victim’s families and Pulse employees during opening night. The Magic will also hold a moment of silence for the victims and honor first responders from that evening as their “Hometown Heroes.” They will also air a video highlighting Orlando’s unity in the wake of the shooting.
In addition to all that, the Magic will raise a banner with the No. 49 in remembrance of the 49 people who died at Pulse on June 12 during the shooting.
Even though the shooting took place four months ago, it should be an emotional night as the Magic make their tribute to the event that rocked the city and the nation.
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The game will be the first time the Magic have had the chance to recognize and memorialize the event since it occurred during the team’s offseason. The Magic though have been part of tributes throughout the city.
The DeVos family, through the DeVos Family Foundation, and the Orlando Magic donated $500,000 to the OneOrlando Fund to support the victims and their families from that tragic shooting. Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins is the head of the OneOrlando Fund board, distributing those funds currently. They sent representatives to the citywide tribute and memorial that occurred at the Orlando City game in the weeks after the shooting.
Additionally, the Magic teamed up with Orlando City, the Orlando Predators and the Orlando Solar Bears to sell t-shirts supporting the One Orlando Fund. Shirts sold out at several locations.
Each team in the city has had its own tribute to the moment.
Orlando City, in their memorial, halted the game in the 49th minute for a moment of silence. They also set aside 49 seats tied off with balloons in their memory. The Lions plan a permanent memorial and monument in their new stadium opening next season.
The Orlando Predators also held a memorial with a tribute video and set off 49 seats for the victims. One of the victims at the shooting was a Predators season ticket holder and went to Pulse immediately after an Orlando Predators game. The loss was very personal to the Predators family.
The Orlando Solar Bears will wear special jerseys in the same design as the Orlando United t-shirts for their opener Oct. 22. The Solar Bears will put the rainbow heart design used on those t-shirts on the ice behind both goals throughout the season.
The event of that June evening and early morning are still with Orlando. They may never leave.
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Opening night will be exciting as the Magic embark on a new season. It will also be incredibly emotional as the Magic memorialize and remember the tragic events from the summer.