(Photo via Osceola County)
KISSIMMEE, Fla. | A decade after the Pulse nightclub shooting, Osceola County broke ground on a tribute to the victims, unveiling designs for the project at Macy Island in Kissimmee.
The tribute will feature a sculpture called “Wings of the Rainbow,” standing 49 feet tall, to honor the 49 lives lost.
The sculpture incorporates the seven colors of the rainbow in a ribbon-like shape and is set against a larger heart. The property at Macy Island is being donated to the county by DR Horton.
The project was not always planned for its current location. The tribute was originally set for another part of District 4 before organizers changed both the site and the design. County officials did not announce a timeline for construction of the tribute and said no permits have been pulled for the project yet. They said it will cost about $250,000, but no money has been exchanged, as many services have been donated.
District 4 County Commissioner and Vice Chairwoman Cheryl Grieb said, “They believe this is important for those families and just for Osceola County as a whole. Again, because we had so many families that lived, worked, played here, it just seemed appropriate to have some type of tribute. Again, not to take away from the memorial whatsoever, this is a totally different type of space.”
Artist JEFRË, who is creating the sculpture free of charge, said giving the families of the Pulse shooting a place to talk with their loved ones is what matters to him most.
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