One Brooklyn
December 17, 2014
BROOKLYN, NY, December 17, 2014: On Monday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams celebrated the holiday season by lighting the Christmas tree standing in Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza. He invited nine-year-old Paloma Kirk from the audience up to the 20-foot Douglas fir to switch on the multi-colored lights. Brooklynites in attendance were also treated to a musical performance by the Noel Pointer Foundation and caroling from Opera on Tap, as well as an assortment of holiday refreshments.
“One of the greatest holiday traditions that Brooklyn has, one that we can trace back decades, is the lighting of Borough Hall’s Christmas tree,” said Borough President Adams. “It brings Brooklynites and tourists great joy to come to Downtown Brooklyn and see the plaza aglow with the colors of the season. I encourage everyone to visit the tree and make it part of their own holiday tradition this year.”
After the lighting, he promptly darkened the lights for a moment of silence honoring the loss of innocent New Yorkers in the last year; Royal-Hyness Allah, a 13-year-old member of the Brooklyn United Marching Band, struck his drum eleven times to symbolize the eleven times Eric Garner repeated, “I can’t breathe,” before he lost consciousness, as well as seven times to symbolize the active duty officers in the New York City Police Department lost in the past year.
“As we come together this holiday season, sharing good tidings, we also are facing societal strife over public safety and criminal justice in our nation; our tree lighting needed to recognize this with a moment of reflection,” said Borough President Adams. “The darkening of the lights cannot be seen as a darkening of our spirit, but rather as an understanding that every innocent life is precious and in need of protection in our city, state, and nation.”
Sponsors of the event included Affinity Health Plan, Congress of Racial Equity, La Bagel Delight, and Lassen & Hennigs.
PHOTOS
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams lights the Christmas tree standing in Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza; he is joined by (from left to right) Brooklyn Borough Parks Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey, Brian McLaughlin of the Congress of Racial Equity, State Senator-elect Jesse Hamilton, Lisa Jones of Affinity Health Plan, Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Diana Reyna, and nine-year-old Paloma Kirk, who was called on by Borough President Adams to switch on the lights.
Photo Credit: Kathryn Kirk/Brooklyn BP’s Office
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