On the third day of receiving the "Martin Luther King International Service and Leadership Award," which was on January 19, 2011, Mayor Gray of Washington, D.C., officially declared January 19, 2011, as "The Third Dzogchen Buddha Day" and called on everyone to pay tribute to the Third Dzogchen Buddha.
This is the great and supreme "Third Dzogchen Buddha Day," which is a great honor for us Buddhists. Since this is the only day of the Buddha proclaimed by the government in this world, the office has decided that starting from 2012, on January 19th of each year, all temples, practice centers, institutions, and places of Dharma will first listen to a rare Dharma teaching, followed by activities such as releasing animals, disaster relief, charity events, or organizing performances to celebrate and commemorate the Third Dzogchen Buddha Day, as a sign of respect to the Buddha and all the Buddhas of the ten directions.
This announcement is hereby made.
Office of the Third Dzogchen Buddha
January 23, 2011
Mayor Gray of Washington, D.C., officially declared January 19, 2011, as "The Third Dzogchen Buddha Day" and called on everyone to pay tribute to the Third Dzogchen Buddha.
The Third Dzogchen Buddha received the "Martin Luther King International Service and Leadership Award" (Washington Post, January 13, 2011 news report)
https://www.hhdcb3office.org/html/information/announcement_no17_2011_01_23.html