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Tampa Bay restaurants, brewers and artists offer ways to help Orlando

 
People share a toast at a fundraiser for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at Savoy in Orlando, Fla., June 17, 2016. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)
People share a toast at a fundraiser for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at Savoy in Orlando, Fla., June 17, 2016. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)
Published June 21, 2016

After the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, it would be very easy to feel helpless. But artists and business owners in Tampa Bay have instead sprung to the aid of our neighbors to the east, offering financial support and organizing events for victims' families and recovery efforts. More than a week after the shooting, the events continue to pop up. Here's a rundown of the latest ways you can help in Tampa Bay, Orlando and beyond.

• Diners across Florida can participate in Dine Out Orlando, a fundraising effort from state restaurant and tourism industries. You can dine at a participating restaurant June 30 and benefit the OneOrlando Fund. On the flip side, restaurant employees can volunteer a shift or donate tips. Local participants so far include St. Petersburg's Bella Brava, The Birch & Vine at the Birchwood, Kahwa Coffee, Stillwaters Tavern, the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, Clearwater Beach's Windjammers Restaurant, Tampa's Froyo Fresh and all local locations of BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. frla.org/dine-out-orlando.

• Through the end of June, Kelly's, the Chic a Boom Room and Blur nightclub in downtown Dunedin will donate proceeds from sales of Yuengling beer to OneOrlando. kellyschicaboom.com.

• Tampa's Cigar City Brewing will tap the first batch of its LGBT Session IPA at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour in Orlando. All proceeds from sales of the beer will go to OneOrlando. The event includes a silent auction, a raffle of a 6-liter bottle of St. Bernardus beer, food trucks and art and merch sales to benefit the fund. cigarcitybrewing.com.

• Tampa Bay's familiar faces of the stage are gathering at Freefall Theatre in St. Petersburg at 7 p.m. Monday to perform in For Orlando: A Musical Cabaret. Watch Matthew McGee and Scott Daniel of the Scott & Patti Show, Becca McCoy, Sara DelBeato, Susan Haldeman, Alison Burns, Jonelle Meyer, Emanuel Carrero, Roxxi Jaxx, Nicholas Hoop, Ryan Bernier and more, accompanied by Michael Raabe on piano. Proceeds will go to Equality Florida to support the families of the victims of the Pulse shooting. freefalltheatre.com.

• You have several chances to catch comedian Jim Florentine at Side Splitters in Tampa this weekend, but only one show is an Orlando fundraiser. The co-host of VH1 Classic's That Metal Show and one of the voices on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers will perform at the club's Stand Up for Orlando fundraiser at 7 p.m. Sunday. Cocktail hour begins at 5 p.m., with a silent auction and a raffle. (813) 960-1197. sidesplitterscomedy.com.

• At least two mega concerts are happening this week in Orlando. On Tuesday at CFE Arena country stars Cole Swindell, Tyler Farr and Billy Currington and more will perform at Country Strong: Orlando's Night of Healing. Tickets are $20.

Imagine Dragons, Nate Ruess of Fun. and Samantha Ronson will perform at All For One: The Orlando Unity Concert on Wednesday at Hard Rock Live at Universal CityWalk. Tickets start at $148, with all proceeds going to the OneOrlando Fund, benefitting victims and their families.

• If you don't want to go out, download Broadway for Orlando, a cover of Burt Bacharach's What the World Needs Now is Love. It's available on BroadwayRecords.com and iTunes for $1.99, and proceeds go to the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida. Voices on the track include Idina Menzel, Gloria Estafan, Kristen Bell, Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane, Bernadette Peters, Jessie Meuller and Carole King. And proceeds from iTunes downloads of Christina Aguilera's new song, Change, through Sept. 14 will go to the National Compassion Fund.

• Tempus Stands for Pulse is a fundraising dance party with DJ Gabe Echazabel at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Tempus Projects in Seminole Heights. Entry is a $5 suggested donation, and all proceeds go to Equality Florida's gofundme page. (813) 340-9056. tempus-projects.com.

Hamburger Mary's in Clearwater will offer a special edition of its Drag Queen Bingo and Diva Revue at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with proceeds benefiting displaced staff from Pulse. Reserve seats at (727) 400-6996. hamburgermarys.com.

• When geeks come together at Fan Fest Orlando on September 17, they'll have a chance to help out Orlando. A one-day special event created by the Creators of Walker Stalker and Heroes & Villains conventions, Fan Fest Orlando is a includes panel sessions, cosplayers and vendors dealing in comic and entertainment products. All proceeds from tickets, autographs, photo ops and vendor sales will be donated to the One Orlando Fund. This year, Stephen Amell and David Ramsey from Arrow join a stars from AMC's The Walking Dead. $55. fanfest.com/orlando.