Update, 5/26/2021:

Wow! Thank you to all of the generous donors who have given a total of $8,772 as of this morning! We are overwhelmed by our community's support. You've helped us raise enough to both cover the event's expenses in full and donate generously to the two organizations for which we were trying to raise meaningful sums, the NAACP and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

We will leave this donation page up for anyone else who would like to support the work of AAPI Montclair. Future funds raised will be dedicated toward AAPI Montclair's advocacy, events, and operating costs.

Please see below for a detailed summary of our Lantern Fest expenses and donations. Thank you to the AAPI Montclair committee members who contributed over $850 in non-reimbursed expenses (not reflected below) in order to help keep our costs down. And THANK YOU to all of our donors for making this wonderful event possible!

Festival Expenses:

Supplies (lanterns, candles, stakes, consumables, etc.)	$2,999.96
Merchandise and giveaways (totes, stickers, etc.)	$1,663.60
Printed Materials (banner, signs, programs, flyers, etc.)	$837.19
Rental (stage, lights, podium, etc.)	$720.00
Total	$6,220.75

Amount Remaining from GiveButter Campaign After Expenses:	$2,551
Donation to the NAACP:	$1,276
Donation to Asian Americans Advancing Justice	$1,276

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Greetings! We are AAPI Montclair, a group of over 300 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the Montclair, NJ area. On May 21st, all are invited to Edgemont Memorial Park from 7-9pm for our first annual Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance. On this night, we will be illuminating the park with thousands of paper lanterns as a memorial to all of the souls who have died because of racial injustice, inequity, and violence. We grieve for those killed not only by COVID-related xenophobia, but by police violence, white supremacy, and systemic inequities and failures, including COVID-19 victims. With your support, we hope to cover the cost of the event and raise meaningful funds for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

In addition to being a symbol of hope and light shining through the darkness, the lantern, in many Asian cultures, is a sign of welcome to the spirits of the departed. In a year when there has been great loss coupled with few opportunities to mourn or celebrate those lost, we look forward to gathering as a community for what we hope will be a beautiful memorial. We also plan to have live music, food trucks, and the opportunity for adults and children to write on or decorate luminaries with their own special messages.

Thank you for any contribution, no matter how large or small! All contributors are invited to send a message or name they would like written on a luminary in advance through this short form.

Support AAPI Montclair's Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance

Gathering to remember victims of racial violence and advance justice

Team Members