Love Always WinsBy: BIGEYE Posted on February 14, 2017 In the midst of tragedy came an outpouring of love into our city from around the world, reminding us that love will always beat hate. This Valentine’s Day, we want to celebrate love. The love of a community. This past year, the Orlando community has unified and strengthened in unimaginable ways, reminding everyone that love always wins. Initial response In the first 17 hours following the shooting, 32,680 people donated almost 1.3 million dollars. In total, 372 pints of blood were donated and used to help victims. In addition to the local response that the Orlando Pulse shooting experienced, global outreach and support was widespread. LGBT pride was honored in many different countries. Through parades, lights, and flowers, the Pulse shooting brought together society in a special way. Local Aftermath Orlando Health gave back to the community by not billing victims of the Pulse Nightclub Shooting resulting in 5 million dollars of unreimbursed costs. Over 50,000 individuals attended the Orlando candlelight vigil with crowds chanting “Orlando United”. As the Orlando community strived to lend support to those impacted by the Orlando Pulse shooting, individuals assisted in all the ways they could. Vigils were held to show the community’s utmost support for victims families, as local companies helped in all the many ways they could. Global Support After the news of the Orlando Pulse shooting was received by the public, people didn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand. Organizations and politicians from around the world instantly began fundraising efforts and sharing messages of support to show their commitment to our community. President Obama and Joe Biden traveled to Orlando, Florida to meet with survivors and families of victims. The Eiffel Tower shined in the colors of a rainbow to honor victims and jetBlue offered free flights to/from Orlando for immediate family/domestic partners of those affected by the shooting. #PrayForOrlando #Pulse #ThoughtsAndPrayers