ORLANDO, Fla. — If you’ve ever driven through downtown Orlando and wondered about the history behind some of the city’s oldest buildings, one local group is working to make sure that those stories are not forgotten.

Orlando Remembered is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating the city’s history through free tours, community gatherings and shared memories.

At the heart of that mission is Marianne Lyon, who now leads the group her father helped start years ago.

“We are the only organization that gets people excited about their memories,” Lyon said.

On a recent tour, the group visited the historic Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando, learning about its roots dating back to the early 1920s.

“So in the early 1920s, they wanted to build a wonderful church, befitting of a cathedral,” one guide shared with the group.

For Lyon, preserving Orlando’s history is about more than old buildings. It’s about connecting generations.

“It helps to share with a younger generation,” Lyon said. “You don’t have to be 80 or 90 years old to have history in Orlando. As a matter of fact, yesterday is already history.”

The volunteers with Orlando Remembered focus much of their work on downtown Orlando, highlighting some of the city’s oldest landmarks and helping breathe new life into the stories behind them.

Mark Line, who also volunteers with the organization, said Lyon has been instrumental in keeping the group’s mission moving forward.

“She’s carrying on the tradition of her family, and she’s doing a great job,” Line said. “She’s kind of the energy behind who we are, and we’re grateful for her,” Mark Line said.

Through walking tours, storytelling and community events, Orlando Remembered brings people together to reflect on the past and preserve it for future generations.

For Lyon, the reward is seeing people connect.

“I receive a lot of joy in hearing people talk and seeing them laugh or give a hug,” she said. “It’s more than just exchanging stories. It’s the connection they make with each other and being nostalgic, sentimental.”

For her dedication to preserving Orlando’s history and bringing the community together, Marianne Lyon is this week’s Everyday Hero.