'Wings of the Rainbow' Pulse Memorial takes shape in Osceola County

[00:00:00]A tribute to Pulse here in Osceola County. I'm your Osceola County Community Correspondent, Stephanie Rodriguez. This is the Wings of the Rainbow Sculpture Garden. It will transform this piece of land here in the county into a tribute to the 49 angels lost at Pulse, giving families here in Osceola County a place to honor their loved ones. After a private groundbreaking with families connected to Pulse, Commissioner Cheryl Grieb shared the latest vision for the Pulse Memorial on Macy Island Road.

[00:00:24]>> We had several families in the Osceola County area that were affected by this, many of which I visited at their homes, in the hospital, at funerals.

[00:00:34]>> The original tribute was designed for a different location, um, and envisioned as one artwork within a larger park.

[00:00:41]When the site changed, we were given an opportunity to rethink the project and create something even more meaning meaningful.

[00:00:48]>> Jeff Rea is the artist behind the tribute. What was once 49 individual sculptural elements is now this, seven wings inspired by the seven colors of the rainbow that rise 49 feet high and come together to form an eternal flame, a symbol of unity and hope.

[00:01:05]>> While the form changed, the meaning never did.

[00:01:08]>> The $250,000 project is being paid for through federal funds on donated land with Jeff Rea doing the work pro bono.

[00:01:15]>> I've created the largest sculpture in Asia that's 28 stories tall.

[00:01:19]This is 49 feet and probably has more value than anything I've ever done around the world just because it honors those people that lost their lives just for having fun that night.

[00:01:31]>> Right now, there is no timeline for the project as permits for the land are still being processed, but they held the groundbreaking to give families a chance to celebrate the new design of the Wings of the Rainbow. I'm your Osceola County Community Correspondent, Stephanie Rodriguez, News 6.