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Click on each thumbnail below to view video clips of Dr. Figueroa’s Speech from the Pink Lighting of the Sundial Bridge.

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Dr. Figueroa's Speech from the Pink Lighting of the Sundial Bridge

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Dr. Figueroa's Speech

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Dr. Figueroa's Speech

From the Pink Lighting of the Sundial Bridge on October 15, 2009

We come together this evening to celebrate Redding, the Sundial Bridge and Northern California Think Pink. Both icons began here in Redding and both have added significantly to the Redding culture and identity. It is only fitting that we should bridge these two icons tonight in this one time event to bring light to our fine city, county and the entire north state.

This is a light that truly says we care. We care for one another, we care for our city, and we care for our community. We care enough that we have adopted this bridge as the symbol for our fine city. Why? Bridges unite, they are the connection of what is divided. Bridges bring people together rather than separate. Bridges allow one to leave the past and start again. Bridges allow one to cross over adversity into safety. Bridges make long journeys shorter, easier. Bridges allow exchange of ideas and enrich our culture.

This bridge demonstrates what we can do as a community when we plan together, save together, work together and endure together. And foremost this bridge unites. Tonight, we unite this great symbol of Redding to a second Redding icon that is Northern California Think Pink.

At first it may not be obvious, but Think Pink also swerves as a powerful bridge. Like this bridge, it has brought thousands of people together, united with one goal in mind, that is the care for our community, to enhance public awareness of breast cancer and the need for early detection and a greater awareness of the tools and techniques that make early detection possible, when cure is most likely.

Like this bridge, Think Pink allows us to cross over from a point of ignorance into a state of enlightenment, from a point of being at the mercy of the devastating disease to a point where we can begin to fight back. Think Pink brings us from a point where we feel alone, neglected, abandoned, to a point where we are united together in one common goal, focused on success. And like this bridge, Think Pink, becomes a point where we can now reach out to other communities, where we as a community can say, look at what we have done, look at what we have accomplished, look at our success. And with the same effort, the same mission, same philosophy, you too can do the same.

When people ask about Redding, often times they wonder about our parks, and we say we have wonderful/beautiful parks. They ask if we have museums and we say we have museums. They ask if we have a shoreline and we say that we have the most beautiful river running through our town and our town is surrounded by beautiful lakes.

Some might even get desperate and ask, well do you have a bridge? And from this day forward, we can all say yes, we have two. These bridges are a way of bringing light, not only to our community, to the north state, but to everyone who visits our town, and in that light, I believe it is only fitting that the Sundial Bridge, by design, causes one to gaze upward and look past its highest point to God and heaven.

I want to thank everyone here today for helping us come together in celebration. I want to especially thank the members of the Redding City Council and our mayor who helped make this event possible. Certainly, special thanks go to Morpheus Lights for their efforts and accomplishment tonight.

In addition, I want to make a very heartfelt thanks to our president of Northern California Think Pink, Nichole Wilder, and to Kurt Hoffmann of Abra Marketing. In addition I need to thank all of the volunteers, workers, board members, committee members of Think Pink and all the businesses here in Redding and Northern California who make Think Pink a success year after year after year, to all of you, Thank You, thank you so much.

God Bless!
– Dr. Michael Figueroa