The Mayor of Sunnyvale proclaimed October 5 as "Falun Dafa Day" to commemorate the first practice site where Mr. Li Hongzhi visited. Following this, several cities in the San Francisco Bay Area issued proclamations of "Falun Dafa Day" or "Falun Dafa Week" to commend Falun Dafa on benefiting individuals and society and to recommend Falun Dafa to local residents. On October 13, the ceremony of "Falun Dafa Week" in the San Jose City Hall marked the beginning of "Falun Dafa Week" in western America.

The southern San Francisco Bay Area is known as "Silicon Valley," the center of high technology. San Jose City is the biggest city in "Silicon Valley," and life there is full of rushing and tension. However, at noon on October 13, it was quiet and peaceful in front of the City Hall. Tense nerves relaxed for a short time, and about 100 practitioners joined the ceremony and group practice during their lunch break. Mr. Gonzales, the Mayor of San Jose, with the other City Council members proclaimed October 16 -- 22 as "Falun Dafa Week" in the city of San Jose.

In the ceremony of "Falun Dafa Week," two western practitioners, who are the CEOs of high tech companies, gave speeches. They described the benefits of Falun Dafa on their lives and pointed out that practicing Falun Dafa is not in conflict with their profession, on the contrary, it helps them to relax while giving them energy, which aids in their work.

This ceremony marked the opening of "Falun Dafa Week" in western America. San Leandro, San Mateo County and City, Milbrae, Redwood City, Burlingame, San Carlos, Sunnyvale and San Jose have all proclaimed a "Falun Dafa Week" or "Falun Dafa Day." During this week, practitioners from western America will gather in the San Francisco Bay Area and hold all kinds of activities. The activities occurring on October 20 -- 22 will include news releases, experience sharing conferences, photographic exhibitions and parades. It will be a spectacular event for practitioners in western America to validate Dafa, tell the truth of Falun Dafa, and spread the Buddha Law.

Practitioners from the San Francisco Bay Area

October 15, 2000