A record-breaking crowdfunding campaign set up by one of Florida’s largest gay and lesbian advocacy groups to help Pulse nightclub victims and their families pay for funeral and medical expenses has raised more than $3.5m in the two days since the attack.
Donations to the GoFundMe appeal established by Equality Florida have made the campaign the fastest growing and largest campaign in the six-year history of the online fundraising site, eclipsing the $2.03m raised for Eliza O’Neill, a South Carolina toddler with a rare genetic disorder.
Its success is mirrored by donations to a number of individual GoFundMe appeals set up by relatives of some of those who were caught up in the Orlando tragedy, and who are without life or medical insurance.
“We are trying to find a way to pay for his funeral service,” wrote Lakitra Justice, sister of Pulse victim Eddie Justice, on the Equality fundraising page.
“My brother was one of the victims who lost his life in this horrible tragedy. He didn’t have life insurance. Please if anyone will help my family out in any way …”
Ida Eskamani, Equality Florida’s development officer, told the Guardian the group was “beyond moved” by the worldwide support for the appeal.
“It’s heart-wrenching because we never wanted to run a campaign to fundraise for the victims of a mass shooting in our own backyard, so we’re proud to see the global community come together to support Orlando,” she said.
“This campaign is a testament to the love and compassion in the world. It’s very powerful and it’s that love that will get us through this. No financial amount can heal the wounds but to alleviate some of the financial stressors as the survivors and victims’ families get focused on healing and mourning, that’s our ultimate goal.”
Eskamani said many victims’ families had already been in contact and that Equality Florida was working with the city of Orlando and the National Center for the Victims of Crime to distribute the funds quickly to cover expenses as they arise.
“We’re raising as much as we can and distributing the funds as fast we can,” she said. “We want to make sure the families get the resources they need.”
In a statement, Bobby Whithorne, spokesman for GoFundMe, said the organization donated $100,000 to the Pulse victims’ campaign.
As well as the Equality Florida campaign, some victims’ families appear to have set up their own crowdfunding appeals to cover expenses. One, for Pulse victim Brenda Marquez McCool, was posted by her son Farrell Marshall and by mid-afternoon on Tuesday had raised $22,000 of its $30,000 target.
“She now leaves 11 children alone on this earth who’s in need of dire help from anyone,” Marshall wrote on the appeal page. “Please help with any donation so that me and my brothers and sisters will not have to worry about financial problems.”
A campaign to raise funds to send the body of victim Enrique Rios Jr to New York for his funeral surpassed its $20,000 target, and another to help pay for the funeral of Luis-Omar Ocasio-Capo was close to its $10,000 target on Tuesday.
The Florida attorney general, meanwhile, urged potential donors to establish the authenticity of any crowdfunding site they were thinking of giving to. Pam Bondi said on Tuesday her office was looking into more than 100 sites claiming to be for victims or survivors of the attack.
“Please continue to help. However, do your due diligence,” Bondi said, while conceding that it was possible all of the sites were authentic. “We just need to go through them,” she added.
Whithorne said GoFundMe would only release funds to campaigns where the recipient is “identified, verified and vetted”.
“In the rare case that a campaign is fraudulent, donors will be refunded,” he said.
