Timeline shows tie-ups with OneOrlando fund

Tens of millions of dollars have been donated to the Pulse victims, but they have yet to see any of it.

The fund is up to $20 million in just over a month, which includes the latest uptick, $750,000 coming from restaurants who participated in Dine Out In Orlando and contributed some, if not all of their profits for the day.

Millions of dollars came in a matter of days, but as we take a look back at the timeline, there have been hiccups along the way.      

Shortly after a gunman opened fire inside Pulse nightclub killing 49 people and injuring 53 others -- the community responded with donations for the victims.

Two days after the shootings on June 14, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced the OneOrlando fund and donations poured in.

A $1 million pledge from Disney, half a million dollars from Darden Restaurants and $400,000 from the Devoss family, the owners of the Orlando Magic.

By the end of the first week after the tragedy, the fund hit $8 million, but big changes were on the way.

Nelba Marquez-Greene, who lost her daughter Ana in the Sandy Hook school shootings, went public, saying she and others never saw a penny from donations.

"Money came into Sandy Hook, but it didn't necessarily go to the victims," she said. "We really want to make sure in Orlando that doesn't happen, because the needs will be there forever," she said.

Shortly afterwards on June 17, Dyer changed course, announcing the OneOrlando Fund was separating from the Central Florida Foundation so the money would  not go to nonprofits, but instead to the victims.

"We're working through how we can directly distribute the funds, but we want to deliver them directly to the vicims," Dyer said at a June 17 news conference
           
On June 17, the city also announced it was possibly looking to Ken Feinberg to administer the fund.

Feinberg served as the Special Master for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, the Claims Administrator for the One Fund Boston, the Virginia Tech Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, the Aurora Victim Relief Fund and for the BP Oil Spill Claims Administration as the Compensation Fund Administrator.

On June 24, News 6 interviewed Feinberg, who confirmed he was a consultant for the city.  He also wanted to see money in the hands of victims in 45 days, he said during the interview.

However by the next week, on July 1, there was another another big announcement.  Dyer announced the OneOrlando fund had merged with Equality Florida and others, bringing the total to $17 million.  During the same announcement Dyer the disbursement date back even more than Feinberg's 45 days to Oct. 1.

City officials are still saying they hope to have the funds dispersed by Oct. 1. 

The town hall meetings where victims can give their input on how the money is divided up are still three weeks out, on Aug. 4.
 


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning reporter Louis Bolden joined the News 6 team in September of 2001 and hasn't gotten a moment's rest since. Louis has been a General Assignment Reporter for News 6 and Weekend Morning Anchor. He joined the Special Projects/Investigative Unit in 2014.

Recommended Videos