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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dear World Portraits Document Pulse Nightclub Survivors, Family Members and First Responders to Commemorate One Year Anniversary

ORLANDO -- For its latest portrait collection entitled ‘Dear Orlando’, Dear World captured images of 25 survivors, family members and first responders as they reflected on their healing and recovery one year after the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., which claimed 49 lives on June 12, 2016.

Each subject sat for an extended interview and a portrait featuring a personal message written on their skin, which is Dear World’s signature storytelling medium. Each portrait includes a first-hand account of the story that inspired the words written on their bodies. The entire collection of portraits and stories is available at www.dearworld.org/orlando.


Community members shared deeply personal messages of tribute, regret, redemption, love, hope and fear as the first anniversary approached.

“Dear World honors the people who passed away, saved lives, comforted the injured and buried loved ones a year ago,” said Robert X. Fogarty, Dear World founder. “I cherish the opportunity to listen and share these deeply personal stories from people who are bound by a nightmare that nobody should ever have to endure.”

Dear Orlando subjects include:


  • Barbara Poma, owner of the Pulse nightclub
  • Mayra and Brian Alvear, mother and brother of Andrea Alvear whose final moments were caught on Snapchat
  • Mina Justice, mother of Eddie who sent her text messages from the bathroom before he died
  • John Mina, City of Orlando Chief of Police
  • Omar Delgado, Eatonville police officer credited with saving the life of Angel Colon


CREDITING INSTRUCTIONS:

These are being made available with broad permission of use with no requests for licensing or compensation from Dear World. You need not get prior written approval from us unless you need to from your organization’s protocols. Feel free to read the stories and use them how you wish. You do not need to publish the entire story in full. Please email Izzy@dearworld.me if you do need formal waivers signed.


For more information or to arrange interviews with Dear World founder Robert X. Fogarty please contact Izzy Morrison, izzy@dearworld.me // 248.931.234



Project Credits:
Founder: Robert X. Fogarty
Principal Photographer: Daymon Gardner
Facilitators/Interviewers: Lynetria Johnson, Katie Greenman, Jonah Evans and Robert Fogarty
Lead Producers: Katie Godkin Morales, Joe Gravier
Director of Photography: Brian Hollars
Photo Unit Crew: Jen Sens
Video Unit Crew: Cliff Jett, Rick Alexander
Producers: Izzy Morrison, Jenny Babcock, Zach Hollwedel, JD Casto, Margaret Fogarty
Video editor: Tori McCarthy
Photo editors: Daymon Gardner, Lemar Arceneaux
Transcript editors: Liz Beeson, Sara Hudson, Izzy Morrison, Jonah Evans, Robert Fogarty
Interview venue: 90.7 WMFE

About Dear World: Dear World has captured 70,000 portraits since its founding in 2010. Each portrait shares a personal story through words written on the subjects’ skin, which provides a gateway to a more complete background narrative.

Dear World’s work has been published in over 30 countries, having photographed Nobel Peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus, Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, Joplin, Missouri tornado survivors and one of the world's largest refugee camps in Jordan (Zaatari), which now houses over 150,000 Syrians. Perhaps the most notable field project, which has been seen by millions, was with Boston Marathon bombing survivors who returned to the finish line for their portraits.