ORLANDO | onePULSE Foundation announced in a press release on April 16 that the 4th annual CommUNITY Rainbow Run, originally scheduled for June 6, will be rescheduled to Sept. 12 and that the annual Pulse Remembrance Ceremony will be a virtual event.
“Please know we do not make these decisions lightly — we will always prioritize the health and safety of the public, the Pulse community and our employees,” said Barbara Poma, CEO of onePULSE Foundation, in the press release. “We are exploring different ways to honor and remember the 49 Angels, survivors, first responders and all those affected by the Pulse tragedy.”
The 4.9K run/walk, which honors all those affected by the Pulse nightclub tragedy and is presented by Orlando Health in partnership with the UCF DeVos Sport Business Management Program, will still begin and end at Wadeview Park in downtown Orlando on the rescheduled date.
In addition to the Rainbow Run in downtown Orlando, the event will also include a 1K Old Town Kissimmee Kids Fun Run and an option for runners outside of Central Florida to join the event by participating in a PNC Bank 4.9K Virtual Run, which can be run at any location and at the runner’s pace.
Individuals who have already registered for the event will have their spot automatically transferred to the new date. The press release goes on the state that “as per the refund policy signed at the time of registration, runners’ entry fees and donations are non-refundable.”
The Remembrance Ceremony, originally scheduled to be held at the site of the Pulse Interim Memorial, will be done as a virtual event starting at 7 p.m. on June 12. More details on the virtual ceremony will be released as plans are developed.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings both released statements in support of onePULSE’s decision to hold a virtual ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While we aren’t able to honor our Angels in the same manner on June 12, we appreciate onePULSE creating a way for our community to be able to come together in a different manner to heal and honor our 49 Angels,” Dyer said. “Even as we face this new challenge, we remain a community and a City that cares deeply for each other and we will continue to exhibit love and kindness in everything that we do to honor the 49 lives taken and to support those who have been impacted by the tragedy.”
“This unprecedented time in our country has been uncomfortable for many, but the public health measures and continuity solutions adopted by onePULSE Foundation are examples of how local organizations are working together to break the backbone of this virus,” Demings said. “Working collaboratively, similar to the months after the Pulse tragedy, we can begin to heal as a community while honoring our 49 Angels.”
If you would like to register for the Rainbow Run’s fall date, visit CommUNITYRainbowRun.com. For more information on the virtual Pulse Remembrance Ceremony, visit onePULSEFoundation.org.
