Another Pulse memorial is now in the hands of the Orange County Regional History Center. A team took on the massive effort to collect tribute items at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Monday morning.
- History Center teams collected items from Dr. Phillips Center
- In a few weeks they will collect items from Pulse nightclub
- No timetable for permanent memorial exhibit yet
"Maybe, if I do something like this, they won't forget about it," began Santos Umanzor, who lives in Orlando.
City and county leaders said there's no timeline for a permanent memorial for the victims of the Jun 12 attack at Pulse nightclub.
That's partially because they need to create a detailed database of thousands of one-of-a-kind items before talking specifics about a permanent Pulse memorial.
"It's very important for us to collect these items for future generations to see how the community responded to an event such as this," said Orange County Regional History Center Museum manager Michael Perkins.
But until then, Santos Umanzor said he's willing to sit outside Pulse every day, so no one ever forgets.
"This is my best design. I love this design. You've got Jamas Lo Olvidaremos in Spanish. We will never forget you. We will never forget you," Umanzor shared while showing off his truck. He has affectionately renamed it the "Pulse Memorial Express."
The makeshift memorial outside of Pulse continues to grow.
"When everybody moves everything, I want to make sure that I'm here, so when people come, they see something and they will remember," Umanzor explained.
"I get emotional when I see people getting emotional. It gets me every time. I see people crying, kissing the pictures. That gets me," Umanzor added.
In a few weeks, staff members from the Orange County Regional History Center are expected to collect memorial items from outside Pulse nightclub.
City leaders say the creation of a permanent memorial will be overseen by a community-based committee, which will receive input from victims' families, survivors and community members.