The creators of Walker Stalker Con and Heroes & Villians put together Fan Fest Orlando, a charity event to benefit the victims and families of the Pulse Night Club mass shooting. Twenty-five celebrities and hundreds of volunteers came together on Saturday to become the real heroes.
According to event staff, the goal was to raise one million dollars. 100% of the profits from autographs and photo ops would be donated to the OneOrlando Fund. The stars of ‘The Walking Dead,’ WWE Superstars, superheroes of the CW, and the villains of Gotham came out in force. ‘Arrow’ star Stephen Amell rallied the troops, but each celebrity had their own personal reason for volunteering his or her time.
“It’s important for me to be here because I think in this day and age giving back is one of the best things we can do as human beings,” said Shantel VanSanten of ‘The Flash.’
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Several actors had personal ties to the Orlando area, Jordan Woods-Robinson is a Blue Man and Jeremy Palko worked at Universal Studios.
“I’m hoping this is going to raise a huge amount of awareness. That it’s great for not just generating income for support, but also just the show of support for the community, the LGBTQ community and everyone affected by the shootings,” said Woods-Robinson of ‘The Walking Dead.’
“A lot of people who were affected by this tragedy were in the entertainment community. I personally worked at Universal Studios and that entire family there was just really taken back by this. So to be a small part of giving back to this community has been really great,” said Palko of ‘The Walking Dead.’
Others hoped for changed and some demanded it.
“It’s hard to define it. I think it’s going to be inexpressible, the impact, at least I hope. I hope that people feel a sense of comfort and a sense of hope from the unity that is here, that is represented here. And I pray that people feel loved and supported. That’s what is most important about this. I think that’s all the impact we can hope for, and I think even beyond that, change would be ideal as well. If this could insight even the smallest amount of change, I think that is a success,” said Sonequa Martin-Green of ‘The Walking Dead.’
“People give so much relevance to what we do, so if we’re able to bring attention to a tragic situation, and I’m always trying to turn tragedy into triumph. So I think it is important as a community to rise up and say no. That’s not what we stand for. So hopefully this will bring healing to some of the families and let people know that we stand together for peace,” said Chad Coleman of ‘The Expanse’ and ‘Arrow.’
The emotions ran high on Saturday, but everyone knew the goal and dropped what they were doing to come together for a good cause. If you would like more information on the OneOrlando Fund or to donate, click the link provide.
Orlando: Thank you. pic.twitter.com/2S6VPwxO2U
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 17, 2016
