Non-profit preserves Orlando tributes from Legacy of Love memorial

A local non-profit wants to make sure future generations of Texans will not forget the overwhelming support Orlando shooting victims received at an iconic Dallas LGBT symbol.

More than a week after the terror attack in Orlando, 18 people remain in the hospital and four of them in critical condition. However, the outpouring love and support for the victims continues in North Texas.

Even though the shooting took place over a thousand miles away, it's had a major impact on the LGBT community nationwide.

Kevin Whitt has been to the Legacy of Love monument in Oak Lawn every day since the Orlando massacre stunned the nation.

“When I was out here, I realized how much of an impact this had on our community here,” he said.

Over the past week, countless people have stopped by Dallas' iconic LGBT symbol to mourn and remember the people who died in the Pulse nightclub that Sunday morning.

“It was a beautiful experience, People had flowers and notes,” said Whitt. “The problem is in a week or two weeks, everyone will have forgotten this.”

The memorial around the monument is starting to dwindle, prompting a local organization to take swift action.

“These artifacts will be a beautiful thing to revisit for many years to come,” said Robert Emery with the Dallas Way.

The organization’s mission is to gather, organize, store and present the complete LGBT history in Dallas.

“When we accept and artifact of any kind, we move it to the UNT libraries,” explained Emery. “That way, any scholar can touch it, see it, feel it.”

And anyone around the world can view the memorabilia online.

“The messages of love, forgiveness and peace and bravery. Those are important items to document because it was the night it happened that these notes were written,” said Emery.

Some of items already in storage include a wreath from State Rep. Roberto Alonzo, a glass cross and a concrete angel.

“It's amazing and I love that they are going to take this and actually do something with it,” said Whitt.

Many of the items will be stored at the Resource Center in Oak Lawn until they can be processed. After that, the memorabilia will be sent to UNT to be digitized and archived.