Families cope 5 years after school shooting

(13 Feb 2023) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Parkland, Florida - 3 February 2023 1. Various of memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School 2. Pan from photo on the wall of Gina Montalto to Tony Montalto 3. Photo on the wall of Gina Montalto 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Tony Montalto, Father of Gina Montalto:"Every day is tough for our family. We miss Gina constantly. Her laugh, Her interaction with us. Her hugs." 5. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School 6. Memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tony Montalto, Father of Gina Montalto:"The best we could hope for is to find a way to work around the pain in our hearts as the, as the commemoration comes around this time of year, the rest of the world feels it more. But we still feel the same that we do every day." ASSOCIATED PRESS Parkland, Florida - 30 January 2023 8. Manuel Oliver adjusts logos on custom school bus 9. STILL of Patricia Oliver's necklace with photo of Joaquin Oliver 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Manuel Oliver, Father of Joaquin Oliver:"We lost our son and there is no money that will ever be as in any way equal to that pain and suffering that more than 45,000 families every year have to go through." 11. Manuel and Patricia Oliver sitting in front of custom school bus 12. Max Schachter looking at computer ASSOCIATED PRESS Parkland, Florida - 3 February 2023 13. Various family photos inside Montalto's home 14. Montalto showing photo and drawing by daughter Gina 15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tony Montalto, Father of Gina Montalto:"It's just about helping to keep Gina's light shining. She was so positive and loving and caring. And we want her helpful nature to continue on and, again, to keep her light shining in this world." 16. Various of memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School STORYLINE: After a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School five years ago, their families were left with a burning question: How do we go on with our lives while honoring our loved one's memory? Most have answered by starting foundations or performing other charitable work dedicated to a variety of causes: protecting students; building parks and gardens; providing scholarships; fighting disease and helping the disabled; sending kids to camp; teaching children to swim, dance, create art or play music and sports; tightening gun laws. Gina Montalto spent much of her time reading, studying and drawing. And she was an enthusiastic Girl Scout, posthumously receiving the group's highest rank, the Gold Award. Sometimes the 14-year-old with straight A's wanted to be a veterinarian; other times she wanted to design attractions for Walt Disney World. Her parents, Tony and Jennifer Montalto, through the Gina Rose Montalto Memorial Foundation, are covering all those interests by helping dozens of college students and others. Manuel and Patricia Oliver's goal with their foundation, Change the Ref, is to challenge the political influence of the National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers. They say the firearms industry has bought and intimidated politicians, leading to the death of their 17-year-old son, Joaquin, who was known for his writing and his ability to make friends. The foundation's name comes from something Joaquin would say after bad calls cost his basketball team a game — that nothing would change without new refs. After his 14-year-old son Alex died, Max Schachter ended his insurance practice and made promoting school safety his full-time mission. Clients are reminded: Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...