On behalf of the IRCC Board of Directors and extended team, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this year’s Diwali Festival of Lights a grand success.
At IRCC, our mission is to promote Indian culture, heritage, and values while fostering unity and connection within the broader community. Events like the Diwali Festival of Lights help us bring people together, share our traditions, and celebrate the rich diversity that makes our community special.
To our incredible emcees – Dr. Priyanka Grover, Priya Alavadi Gupta, Ajay Sharma, Shalika Sharma and Preet Sahi, thank you for elevating our show and guiding us seamlessly through the program, and to the youth emcees, thank you for hosting the first part of the show with such enthusiasm and professionalism. We are immensely grateful to the dance competition judges for lending their time and expertise with clear and detailed scoring, providing valuable feedback that added fairness and professionalism to the competitions.
A huge thank you to our sponsors: American Heritage School, Jalaram Produce, BankUnited, House of Spice (Orlando), BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, and Patel Brothers, whose generous and continued support over the years has helped bring our vision to life. A special thanks to Patel Brothers for also providing the delicious Frooti drinks!
We are also grateful to the Broward County Convention Center and their staff, Everlast Productions for audio-visual support, Edlen and Vista South Convention Services for support with setup and utilities for the event.
To Punditji, our sincere gratitude for the meaningful opening prayer that set a spiritual tone for the event. Our sincere thanks also go out to all the food and non-food vendors for showcasing and selling their delicious cuisine, ethnic wear, accessories, and other unique products and services. To all the performers, both those who participated in exhibition items and those in the competition items, thank you for your hard work and for sharing your talent and passion with us. Thank you to the non-profit organizations who participated and supported IRCC’s mission, and promoted the event to their members.
A heartfelt thank you to all our friends and volunteers who worked tirelessly in various areas, from games to the front desk, ticketing, and so much more. Your dedication is what keeps the event running smoothly. We cannot forget here to thank all our spouses and families for their unwavering support and understanding, which helps make all of this possible.
We deeply appreciate the presence of the following local dignitaries and government representatives for joining us and supporting this celebration of culture and community:
- Theresa Brier – District Director (on behalf of Congressman Jared Moskowitz)
- Christine Hunschofsky – Florida State Representative
- Kim Schnitzius (on behalf of Dan Daley – Florida State Representative)
- Steve Geller – Commissioner, Broward County
- Simeon Brier – Commissioner, City of Parkland
- Shawn Cerra – Vice Mayor, City of Coral Springs
- Joy Carter – Commissioner, City of Coral Springs
- Captain Jemeriah Cooper – Broward Sheriff’s Office – Tamarac
We are honored to have received tributes and proclamations from various cities, organizations, and legislative branches including:
- A tribute to IRCC for its contributions to the community, from Florida State, issued by State Representative Christine Hunschofsky and State Senator Tina Polsky.
- A Congressional Proclamation for Diwali, issued by Congressman Jared Moskowitz.
- A Hindu Heritage Month tribute, issued by State Representative Dan Daley.
- The Diwali Festival Proclamation from Broward County, requested by Commissioner Steve Geller and signed by Broward County Mayor Nan Rich.
- Multiple proclamations for Diwali to IRCC at the city level, from the City of Coral Springs, Tamarac, Weston, and Parkland.
- Multiple proclamations for Diwali to the community from the cities of Davie, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines, and Sunrise.
While this year’s event was a resounding success, our work is far from done. We continue to rely on your support to host more events, expand our initiatives, and make a greater impact in our community. If you’d like to contribute to our mission, please visit our Donation Page at https://irccflorida.org/ircc-florida-donation/ and help us continue this journey of cultural celebration and community building.
Our immediate next events in 2025 include:
- Anand Bazaar: Being planned for January 26, 2025, it’s a celebration of Republic Day, Uttarayan (with kite flying) and Lohri, with food from amazing home chefs available for purchase.
- Holi: A colorful celebration of joy and the arrival of spring.
Stay tuned for more details of these and future events.
Thank you for being an integral part of our community. Diwali is about coming together in the spirit of light, love, and unity, and you made this celebration truly memorable.
We look forward to seeing you all again at our upcoming events!
