HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponse To Constituent Letter - Mail Packet - 9/26/2023 - Letter From Mayor Jeni Arndt To Human Relations Commission Re: Diwali Lamp-Lighting Ceremony
Mayor
City Hall
300 LaPorte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2154
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
September 21, 2023
Human Relations Commission (HRC)
c/o Melanie Clark, Staff Liaison
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Dear Chair Jaeger and Commission Members:
On behalf of City Council, thank you for providing us with the September 18, 2023
memorandum wherein you requested that the Council support a Fort Collins Diwali lamp-
lighting ceremony to be held prior to the November 3, 2023 Downtown Holiday Lighting
Ceremony in Old Town Square.
We appreciate you bringing this idea forward and we will review your request. Thank you for the
expertise and perspectives that you and the former HRC member bring to the Commission and
share with City Council.
Best Regards,
Jeni Arndt
Mayor
/sek
cc: City Council Members
Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
DATE: September 18, 2023
TO: Mayor Jeni Arndt and City Councilmembers
CC: Claudia Menendez, Barb Kistler, Sarah Kane, Melanie Clark
FROM: Beth Jaeger, Chair, Human Relations Commission
RE: Request for a Diwali Lamp Lighting Ceremony
The Human Relations Commission (HRC) respectfully requests City Council to support a Fort
Collins Diwali lamp-lighting ceremony to be held prior to the November 3, 2023 Downtown
Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Old Town Square.
A community member, who coincidentally served as a former HRC Chair, has requested the
HRC's support in advocating for a Diwali ceremony to advance inclusion and respect for diverse
voices in Fort Collins.
As defined by the Britannica and other sources, Diwali is India's biggest and most important
holiday of the year. It is a festival of lights that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness,
good over evil, and the human ability to overcome. It is one of the major cultural and religious
festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term
dipavali, meaning "row of lights." During Diwali, lamps are lit everywhere to symbolize going
from darkness to light.
It is suggested that the proposed Diwali ceremony be held just before the Downtown Holiday
Lighting Ceremony. It will include a short introduction of the meaning of Diwali, followed by
the lighting of a brass lamp, then a moment of silence. We believe it will complement the
lighting of the Downtown Holiday Lights.
If City Council agrees to a Diwali ceremony this year, our community member has offered to
coordinate it, along with other interested organizations. No cost is anticipated for this event.
Please let me know if additional information is needed. The HRC appreciates your consideration
of a Diwali ceremony to further a true sense of belonging for all community members. Thank
you.