The Tampa Bay Rays held a Pride Night on Friday, honoring the victims and survivors of the Pulse shooting in Orlando.
The Tampa Bay Rays held a Pride Night on Friday in honor of the victims and survivors of the Pulse shooting in Orlando, and the fans came out in abundance to show their support. The organization pledged to donate 100 % of all proceeds to charity, and in the process, had their highest attendance record in ten years.
It was the highest attendance number since the 2006 home opener, and the team actually had to open up thousands of obstructed-view seats that are normally only used during the playoffs. Upon entry, fans received Orlando pride t-shirts. The paid attendance for the game was 40,135, which is way higher than the stadium’s normal capacity of 31,402.
In total, the Rays expect to donate more than $300,000 dollars to the Pulse victims’ fund.
On June 12, Omar Mateen entered Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people while injuring 53 more. It was the deadliest mass killing by a single gunman in U.S. History, and the deadliest attack against the LGBT community ever.
The Orlando Rays hats that the Tampa Bay Rays will wear tonight at the Trop. pic.twitter.com/HMSjn8ZD1Y
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) June 17, 2016
The Rays used to have a minor league affiliate in Orlando called the Orland Rays, and on Friday, the big league club wore caps displaying the old logo. Those caps will be auctioned off as well, which should earn even more money for the fund.
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The Rays lost the game 5-1, but the support the Rays organization showed for the victims and their families will go way beyond a baseball score.
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