The Tampa Bay Rays were already planning to hold their annual Pride Night for LGBT fans when news broke of the massacre at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. In short order, Rays senior management, led by President Brian Auld, turned the game into a fundraiser and a memorial, selling out the stadium through sales of $5 tickets, the proceeds from which went to EQFL’s Pulse Victims Fund; adding programming, including a profoundly moving video tribute; and giving “We Are Orlando” t-shirts with a rainbow-hued Rays logo to all attendees. More than $300,000 was raised for the fund through ticket sales, raffles and donation centers during a truly unforgettable evening at the Trop. raysbaseball.com. —David Warner
This article appears in Best of The Bay 2016.
