Illuminating a community’s message:

A Hale neighborhood resident recently found a creative way to speak out and channel his community’s grief and anger. On condition of using his first name only, Dalton agreed to share his story of mobilizing friends and family to create a giant luminary message on the Lake Nokomis ice.

Where did you get the inspiration for the luminary display?

I live right under the MSP flight path and had previously thought it would be cool to write a big “on the lake at some point in the winter. The thought came back to me Sunday morning, as I walked my husky on the Lake Nokomis ice. I realized the weather and snow conditions were perfect for shoveling out a huge sign that would stay visible for many days.

The luminaries were inspired from the night before, after driving around Minneapolis, attending Nurse Alex Pretti’s vigil at Whittier Park and wanting to have another way for the community to come together peacefully.

How did you rally the help to make it happen?

It all came together way faster than I ever thought possible. I sent messages to my closest friends and family and got a dozen of them to help with the shoveling. Other family got the word out about Monday’s lighting event.

It was such an emotional day. Eight hours of constant shoveling, just pissed off at the world we live in. So much anger went into those shovels, I’m surprised they didn’t break. We finished in the dark at 9 p.m. I still doubted it would be that visible from the sky.

When I saw the photo someone took of it from above, I cried.

I’m just so thankful for the amazing friends and family who made it possible. I’m so thankful for the community I live in and the unanimous love for a project that is so classic Minnesota. For the first time in too long, I felt hope for the future of this country. We are all Minnesotans and we will stick together and remain strong as long as ICE is here and after ICE is OUT!

Dalton and his friends and family are planning a similar display Saturday, January 31.