AboutUS By Hotspotorlando #24 | Page 26

About the Tower of Light ORLANDO MAYOR BUDDY DYER HOSTS “TOWER OF LIGHT” ILLUMINATION CEREMONY The Orlando chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women raised more than $52,000 to fund public sculpture’s renovation Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was joined by a dozen city leaders and more than 100 members of the community during the well-known “Tower of Light” sculpture’s illumination ceremony. The Orlando chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women, or CREW, launched the revitalization and fundraising initiative to mark the organization’s 25th anniversary. • Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer • Former Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick • Thomas Chatmon, Downtown Development Board and Community Redevelopment Agency Executive Director • Maya Hatchette, CREW President • Doris Wasson, CREW Project Manager for the “Tower of Light” Restoration and Director of Operations for Owens Realty Services The 63-foot glass-and-steel spire renovation included the installation of 650 watts of programmable, full color spectrum LEDS, data cabling and a wireless controller. The controller can be programmed with numerous presets (length and color of display) and can be accessed via the Internet on computer, phone or tablet. The “Tower of Light,” by artist Ed Carpenter, was commissioned and installed in 1992 under the leadership of then Mayor Bill Frederick. The original halogen lighting failed in 1994. Many attempts at funding a relighting project were discussed in the interim but none came to fruition. Knowing that the City’s SEE ART ORLANDO project was slated for debut in late 2013, the Orlando chapter of CREW pledged to raise a minimum of $50,000 to renovate and light. Sitting on the Plaza in front of City Hall, the sculpture celebrates the intersection of private and public interests in the City of Orlando and is a symbol for the aspirations of our community.