Contact:   Mayor Dave Barrow, (905) 771-2493  

   

RICHMOND HILL - Mayor Dave Barrow is pleased to announce that he will be hosting the Town’s first Eid Celebration Dinner at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel in Richmond Hill on Friday, October 26, 2007, held in honour of Richmond Hill’s Muslim community.

Eid is a traditional Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. For Muslims, Eid is a joyous occasion of giving and sharing. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory, peace of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity.

At a media conference held earlier today, Mayor Barrow said, “We are honouring the wide variety of cultural backgrounds in Richmond Hill with the many cultural celebrations we are hosting. From the Chinese New Year dinner to the Nowruz event and now the Eid event, we want to bring cultures together to celebrate their respective holidays and the diversity in our community.”

The Mayor is encouraging the community to come out and learn more about Eid. The celebration will take place on Friday, October 26 at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel (600 Hwy. 7 East at Highways 404 & 7) in the Grand Ballroom. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with dinner (provided by The Host) beginning at 8 p.m. followed by live entertainment at 10 p.m. Tickets are $45 for adults and $25 for children.

Proceeds from ticket sales will raise much-needed funds for the arts through the newly-created Mayor’s Endowment Fund for the Arts. The Fund will contribute to the arts in Richmond Hill by providing local arts groups and individual artists with the opportunity to apply for grants for their programs and performances.

The Mayor has recently hosted various cultural events in recognition of the rich cultural diversity of the community. In February of this year the Mayor hosted the Town’s first Chinese New Year celebration and in March hosted the first Nowruz (Iranian New Year) celebration.

For tickets to the Mayor's EID Celebration Dinner, please contact Michael Grit at (905) 737-8985, ext. 6007.