2/22/22: A Truly Perfect Date in Shreveport-Bossier
Photo by Casey Jones
One of the few things that has managed to snag the public’s interest so far this year is the so deemed “perfect date” of Tuesday February 22, 2022, or 2/22/22. Many states have claimed that on this day there are a numerous number of couples that plan on getting married. Apparently, this date feels romantic is a way. Not one to be left out, the city of Shreveport planned their own event. However, they were not going to just marry a lot of people; they decided to make 2/22/22 in Shreveport a whole different experience featuring fireworks, a light show, and 28 couples saying, “I Do.”
In 1993, The Bakowski Bridge of Lights was lit as a symbol of connection between the cities of Shreveport and Bossier. This event saw sixty-four couples get married. Some of those couples were present on 2/22/22 to renew their vows and see the bridge light up again. Twenty-eight couples, a mix of those getting married and renewing vows, were present on Tuesday. After saying “I Do” they all had their first dance while fireworks and a light show were put on the Bakowski Bridge. Shreveport-Bossier native Ashley Henning and her fiancée, Christopher Clarke, were among the first to sign up to get married.
"Having our wedding planned for us is perfect, and I like the fact that it's to the year of our engagement date," shared Henning. "We met at the end of that bridge — it's like the bridge between our souls. Plus, it's on 2/22/22; the numerology is perfect — it only comes around every 100 years. And I couldn't think of a better way to go out than stopping traffic under LED lights."
This day was special not just for the happy couples; various students were recognized for their work on and with the lights. Over 100 students from middle and high schools in the Shreveport-Bossier area spent 3 days of the week for months learning the process of creating light shows and other STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) skills. Jason Lyons, the lighting expert behind the Broadway production “Rock of Ages,” worked with the students as the Artistic Director for the event. Another significant member of the team is William Joyce, the creator of movies like “Epic” and “Jack Frost” and TV show “Rolie Polie Olie.” Joyce oversaw designing the lightshows for the evening, as well as the ones in the immediate future. Along with a donation of $1M from Dr. and Mrs. George Bakowski, Lyons, Joyce, and the 100 students were able to see their hard work be lit.
This lighting is only the beginning of the plans made. The funds from those getting married or renewing their vows, along with any future donations, will be used to create more light shows and educational programs for students in the area. Shreveport Mayor Adrien Perkins has always claimed that today’s children are the future. For them to have the ability to learn about these skills and actually see them be lit in the city is an amazing opportunity.
As various colors flashed across the Bakowski Bridge of Lights, seeing the overjoyed faces of newlyweds, those renewing vows, hardworking students, and members of both the Shreveport and Bossier communities easily marked 2/22/22 as the truly perfect date.
