(Clearwisdom.net) On February 21, 2004 Falun Dafa practitioners in South Dakota were invited to the Festival of Giving in Sioux Falls.

One female practitioner demonstrated Falun Gong's five sets of exercises in an elegant Tang Dynasty costume. Almost everyone passing by stopped to watch and read the display board. People liked the materials handed out by the practitioners and said they would read them carefully.

One senior practitioner made a lot of paper lotus flowers, symbolic of sacredness and purity. People asked for the flowers and they soon had all been handed out. Practitioners told the visitors that Falun Dafa practitioners in China are brutally persecuted by Jiang's regime. Practitioners are like the sacred lotus flowers that use "Truthfulness Compassion Tolerance" to cultivate themselves and are compassionate to others.

Some practitioners came from areas far away, but they didn't want to stop to rest because they didn't want to miss the time to spend with the people. When asked why they participated in this event, a practitioner said he had benefited from Falun Dafa and experienced the sacredness and beauty of Dafa. He wanted to share Dafa with more people. Participating in the Festival of Giving was a good chance to show the beauty of Falun Dafa to the people and tell them the facts about Falun Dafa.

In the afternoon, a reporter from a TV station came to film the event. He had dinner with practitioners and was very friendly. He said it was his honor to have dinner with Falun Gong practitioners. He respected the practitioners and said Falun Gong is the hope of China.