The 2014 Redmond Indian Association’s annual Diwali Festival truly lit up our community of Redmond last Saturday night at Evergreen Middle School. This festival of lights symbolizes the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness — the victory of good over evil and the glory of light.

This principle held true despite the weather and the difficulties that came from a major power outage. Everyone came together and Diwali, one of the most anticipated, important and glamorous festivals in India, was again a beautiful, bright and enjoyable event.

Gov. Jay Inslee was invited, and though unable to attend due to schedule conflicts, graciously wrote, “I applaud the Redmond Indian Association (RIA) for sponsoring today’s event. Celebrations like this help us gain a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, other cultures and remind us that diversity is one of our state’s greatest strengths.”

State Sen. Andy Hill and King County Council member Kathy Lambert were honored guests and helped to award the RIA’s 2014 Above and Beyond award, given to an organization that has demonstrated the fulfillment of a noble and worthy cause. This year’s recipient was the Sankara Eye Foundation, for its tireless efforts in fighting curable blindness through more than 1.2 million free eye surgeries.

The 1,000-plus audience was kept enthralled for more than two hours by the fantastic culture show put together by about 150 performers. The performers, mainly kids, invested more than two months in preparing for this event. Ramayana — the story of Lord Rama, presented in dance and drama format — was highly appreciated by everyone.

Keep an eye out for RIA’s 2015 Holi (festival of colors) — a springtime festival that marks the start of spring, and for many, the start of new year.