MCSS Diwali celebrations draw huge crowd

The Fraser Valley’s premier Diwali event, The Festival of Light, drew almost 1,000 people to Clarke Theatre on Oct. 24.

They enjoyed nine different multicultural acts in the two-hour stage show, ethnic food donated by Mission Save On Foods and cooked by an Abbotsford Gurdwara, plus a marketplace of community and commercial booths offering everything from clothing and turban wrapping to jewelry and henna applications.

To see a photo album of images by photographer Jean Konda-Witte, click HERE.

Mission Community Services Society (MCSS) hosted the event with support from 19 sponsors. Lead sponsors were Swing Optical, University of the Fraser Valley, BC government multicultural branch, Abbotsford Community Services, Mission Save On Foods and the District of Mission. Media sponsors were Mission Record, What’s On! Mission Magazine, Abbotsford News and Punjabi Patrika.

Sanjay Gulati, MCSS executive director, said there are plans to expand this popular Diwali event in 2019. If you wish to participate in Diwali 2019, contact organizing committee chair Rick Rake at [email protected].

A big thank you to these supporting Diwali sponsors:

SARA for Women;
Ajay Construction;
United Way of the Lower Mainland;
Costco;
Clarke Foundation Theatre crew and Bronwen Sutherland;
Dasmesh Punjabi School;
Mission Rotary;
Mission Khalsa School;
Mission Fire Department (for first responder … first aid support);
United Defence Security Ltd. (for security).

Take a bow, the many Festival of Light: Diwali volunteers.
Thanks to all those who donated food to the MCSS Food Centre as they arrived.

Special round of applause for emcees Satti Grewal and Kelly Chahal plus stage managers Maria Buganska and Alex Rake with the Clarke Theatre technical expertise.


To see the full page of Festival of Light: Diwali pictures in The Mission Record newspaper, click HERE.

Diwali organizing team for 2018 includes Jean Konda-Witte, Raj Patara, Monica Grover, Ajay Grover, Rick Rake, Sanjay Gulati, Karen Laing, Saba Alam (volunteer coordinator) and Satti Grewal.