Mayor Sheena Collum speaks in Meadowland Park, which was lit up with luminaries on Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In partnership with the Community Coalition on Race and South Orange Village, the Meadowland Park Conservancy continued their tradition of filling the 45 acres of the park with light to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Jan. 20 event featured the largest display of CCR luminaries in SOMA, with the entire pond ringed by the glowing bags, each weighed down by a can of food contributed by community members. The hundreds of cans were to be donated to three local food pantries.
In addition to the luminary bags, the MPC retained local lighting designer Maz Sailer to again design and install professional lighting displays throughout the park. The South Orange Performing Arts Center donated several lighting fixtures, which were added to the significant rental of equipment by the MPC. In addition, a video montage of MLK’s words and images were projected on the wall of the Skate House.
Local officials, including South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum, Maplewood Mayor Nancy Adams and CCR Executive Director Nancy Gagnier joined MPC Chairperson Matt Glass for a brief opening ceremony at the Skate House after which the two mayors led a countdown to light the trees around the Skate House and invite the public to wander through the park to see the illuminations, which were made even more beautiful by the recent snowfall.
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