[Christmas in the Park Lighting Ceremony]
[00:00:08]
HI, THIS IS PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE CHANG.I'M HERE ON THE OPENING NIGHT.
WE JUST SPLIT THE SWITCH A FEW MINUTES AGO FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL 38TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK.
OUR STAFF DESIGNS ALL OF THESE LIGHTS THEMSELVES AND THE ARTISTIC ABILITY THAT THEY DO IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
BUT NEXT FEBRUARY 11TH, 2025, JEFFERSON PARISH IS CELEBRATING OUR 200TH BIRTHDAY, AND THEY DID THIS BEAUTIFUL BEHIND ME, THIS BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION OF OUR BICENTENNIAL, WHICH WE WANTED TO LAUNCH A LITTLE EARLY AND GET EVERYBODY SORT OF IN THE, IN THE MOOD FOR CELEBRATION FOR ALL NEXT YEAR.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE LIGHTS IN LAVERNE PARK IS SUCH AN AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY.
IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE CHILDREN.
YOU CAN BRING YOUR OLDER PARENTS, YOUR GRANDPARENTS, IT'S, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL STROLL IF THEY WANNA WALK OR A DRIVE IF THEY DON'T.
AND, UH, IT'S SAFE, IT'S AFFORDABLE, IT'S FAMILY FRIENDLY.
OUR FATHER HAD A, A DREAM, UH, WHEN HE WAS A KID.
HE SAW THE CENTENNIAL LIGHTS AND HE SAID, IF I EVER HAVE ENOUGH MONEY, I'M GOING TO CREATE THIS AMAZING LIGHT DISPLAY FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY.
AND IN 1974, HE DID JUST THAT.
1974, THIS IS OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY, THAT HIS LIGHTS WOULD SHINE BRIGHT.
AND IN 2009, WE DONATED HIS LIGHTS TO LAFA PARK.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THEY'VE DONE HERE IS QUITE AMAZING.
UH, WE JUST GAVE THEM, UH, ABOUT A A HUNDRED FIGURINES AND, AND THEY JUST MULTIPLIED AND MULTIPLIED IT.
AND THEN TODAY THE COPELAND LIGHT DISPLAY ONLY REPRESENTS ABOUT 10% OF THE ENTIRE DISPLAY.
THEY HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB WITH THIS, AND I'M SO PROUD OF ALL THE MANY DEPARTMENTS THAT COME HERE.
IT'S NOT JUST THE LAFA NEAR PARK STAFF, IT'S TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RECREATION, EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYEES FROM ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WHO HELP PUT THIS ON SO ALL THE FAMILIES CAN ENJOY AND MAKE MEMORIES.
AND THIS HAS BECOME A REAL FAMILY TRADITION FOR A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS.
SO, WISHING EVERYBODY A WONDERFUL HOLIDAYS AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.