Ethnic buffet meal provided by Save-On-Foods will be served at Heritage Park Centre cafeteria. It’s free! Bring the family!
Mission Community Services Society (MCSS) is thrilled with the financial and in-kind support it has received so far for the Diwali: Festival of Light event set for Oct. 11 at the Clarke Theatre.
Among donors providing more than $1,000 support in funding and services are: The District of Mission, Mission Save-On Foods, Mission 125, the University of the Fraser Valley, MCSS, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (through the Mission Local Immigration Partnership).
Generous contributors include the Mission Sunrise Rotary Club, United Way of the Lower Mainland, Agassiz-Harrison Community Services, AJay Construction, J’s Pizza, Abbotsford Costco, SARA for Women, Clarke Theatre, Swing Optical, Mission Fire Rescue Service and United Defense Security Ltd. (Paul Sharma).
Media sponsors are the Punjabi Patrika, Mission Record, and Abbotsford News.
Satti Grewal and Kelly Chahal are emcees for Diwali this year in Mission on Oct. 11 at Clarke Theatre.
Commercial booths appearing in the foyer marketplace include dynamic jewelry, clothing, optical, henna and salon vendors. Among community groups appearing are Fraser Valley Child Development Centre, SARA for Women, Literacy in Motion, WorkBC/Mission Community Skills Centre, District of Mission (community surveys), Mission Library (LiLi mobile music), Cycling for Diversity, Costco, University of the Fraser Valley, MCSS settlement/food centre team, Dasmesh Punjabi School, and Save-On-Foods.
UFV special events manager Betsy Terpsma, and graphic designer Auriel Niven, are providing support in many ways, including creating the Festival of Light: Diwali poster this year.
It’s not too late to climb aboard the Diwali festival train. Contact Rick Rake at MCSS if you can assist or have a suggestion. Contact Rake at [email protected] or call 604-826-3634.
Serving on this year’s Festival of Light organizing committee are Rake, Sanjay Gulati, Satti Grewal, Raj Patara, Monica Grover, Jean Konda-Witte and Ken Herar.
Providing Diwali stage management services are Alex Rake and Maria Buganska. Volunteers from a variety of places, including Mission Senior Secondary School lead by its amazing leadership team, are helping serve food, setting up, taking down and assisting wherever possible.
New to the Festival of Light: Diwali organizing team this year are Jean Konda-Witte (pictured at left with Karen Laing of MCSS), Raj Patara of Fraser Valley Healthcare Foundation, Monica Grover, and Ken Herar of Cycling for Diversity.
The doors open at 5 p.m. with a free ethnic meal served during the event until about 8:30 p.m. Live stage entertainment begins at 6 p.m. with Satti Grewal and Abbotsford City Coun. Kelly Chahal as emcees.
Look for Garba dancers (Hindu), Hurricane Drummers, Abbotsford bagpipers, Abbotsford Arts Academy, Dasmesh Punjabi School, Learning Stars Arts Academy, and the final act of the night at 8 p.m., the Bollywood Dansations.
Alex Rake, with Maria Buganska, provides stage management services for this year’s Festival of Light: Diwali.