ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — "I woke up and I just said, "Not again," Jon Lewandowski said.
After learning about the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs, Lewandowski said he reached out to a funeral director and offered his assistance.
As a gay man, the killings of five people and the injuries of at least 22 more at the LGBTQ nightclub, cut deep for Lewandowski.
"He cried on the phone, we cried together," Lewandowski said. "I want to help celebrate their life."
After helping out families during another mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado in 2012 and living through the Orlando Pulse shooting, Lewandowski said he felt compelled to act.
He collaborated as an event sponsor for St. Pete Pride for their annual fundraiser held Saturday.
Organizers said portions of the proceeds will go toward people killed and affected in Colorado Springs, along with the Naples and Southwest Florida Pride organizations after Hurricane Ian.
St. Pete Pride President Tiffany Freisberg said organizers felt a responsibility to take care of the affected communities.
"When one of us benefits, we all benefit," Freisberg said.
Freisberg said the mass shooting is a reminder not to be complacent, making their efforts to organize Pride, even more important.
"Events like that are just a reminder of why we do the work that we do and the significance of doing it," Freisberg said.
Actor Jai Rodriguez said the mass shooting also stresses the need for more allies more than ever after the struggles LGBTQ+ communities have had to overcome.
He hopes people affected by the recent tragedy understand they're not alone.
Rodriguez, who hosted the event, was part of the original “Queer Eye” series and appeared in “Bros,” the first gay rom-com produced and distributed by a major American studio.
"We still have folks who don't feel safe in their own home to be their most authentic self, to go out to a nightclub to celebrate at what is considered many of our safe spaces," Rodriguez said.
This year, St. Pete Pride drew more than 300,000 people in June.
If you'd like to donate to St. Pete Pride, visit this link.