TAMPA, Fla. — Mass shootings get a lot of attention when they happen. The debates go on and details emerge for a few weeks, the vigils come to an end and then, maybe, we'll hear about them once a year when the anniversary rolls around.
It's a sad cycle but for the families left behind after these senseless attacks, it's a pain they live with every single day.
The Alvear family decided to turn their grief into giving by hosting the Amanda's Angels Legacy of Love toy drive every year in memory of Amanda Alvear, who would have turned 32 years old on Monday.
"Amanda always loved kids. She never wanted to have kids which I found interesting but she loved other people’s kids," said her brother, Brian Alvear.
He spent Monday in Orlando with his parents helping with the toy drive but more so making sure they were OK.
"It’s difficult, you can’t teach someone, you can’t get used to it because you’re linked to this tragedy," Brian Alvear said.
Mayra Alvear, Amanda's mom, said each year the event, which donates toys to the Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families in Orlando keeps growing. This year, she hopes to get 10,000 donations to help others and honor the lives of each Pulse victim with action.
"I have faith in people, and I know if we unite and come together, stand together, we can make a lot of difference," Mayra Alvear said.
You can learn more about the toy drive and how to donate on the Facebook page: Amanda's Angel Legacy of Love.