For more than two decades, Ridgefielders have gathered on this, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, to celebrate and honor the courageous civil rights leader who would have been 89 years old today.
Started by Ridgefield resident Mark Robinson and First Selectman Rudy Marconi, with humble beginnings in the basement of Town Hall, Ridgefield’s MLK Day ceremony has grown tremendously over the years.
Today, hundreds of residents gathered in The Ridgefield Playhouse for an afternoon of spirit, song, and reflection. And, to honor one Ridgefield resident whose kindness, generosity, and community service personify the acts of Dr. Martin Luther King - Lori Berisford.
Robinson said, “To me, [the Spirit of Dr. King award] is the most important part of our ceremony each year - recognizing and honoring the men and women who live every day of their lives and embody the spirit and values of Dr. King. We want to let them know how much we treasure them as part of our community and we hold them up as shining examples and role models for others.”
Lori Berisford rolls up her sleeves and supports practically every nonprofit in our community: SPHERE, Kids in Crisis, RVNA, Ability Beyond, The Ridgefield Playhouse, Sunrise Cottage. Lori serves on the Board of Directors for Founders Hall, The Women’s Center, and the Ridgefield Girl’s Softball League.
“For her exhaustive volunteerism and for her outstanding commitment to community service and her selflessness in the finest traditions of Dr. Martin Luther King, we present the annual Spirit of Dr. King community service award to Lori Berisford,” said Robinson.
“I’m honored to receive this award, honored to live in this community - I will continue to do what I do if only to leave things a little bit more perfect,” said Berisford who quoted Dr. King, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
On the heels Lori’s acceptance speech, SPHERE members took the stage, surprising Lori with a beautiful tribute song, “Nothing More”.
The afternoon included soulful and uplifting performances by Broadway’s Daniel Levine, Katie Diamond, and Bryan Perri, as well as The Ridgefield Chorale, Project Grand Slam.
After the ceremony ended, the celebration continued. SPHERE members had another big surprise for their leader, Lori Berisford! A big party in the Playhouse lobby, complete with bubbly and delicious fare by Gallo, was the grand finale of a beautiful celebration honoring Dr. King and Lori Berisford.
First Selectman Rudy Marconi spoke to the attendees about racism and bigotry in our community. We will publish his speech in its entirety in a follow-up post. Stay tuned.