Aurora proclaims ‘Dry January,’ will light pedestrian bridge yellow Jan. 7–13

Mayor Richard C. Irvin on Tuesday proclaimed January 2025 “Dry January” in Aurora and announced the city will light the River Edge Park pedestrian bridge yellow from Jan. 7 through Jan. 13 to mark the initiative.

The proclamation, read during the Aurora City Council meeting, said the campaign — promoted locally with partners including the Aurora Regional Economic Alliance and Meharry Medical College — encourages residents to abstain from alcohol for the month to improve health outcomes. “I, Mayor Richard C. Irvin, do hereby proclaim January as Dry January in Aurora,” Irvin said.

The city hosted two Meharry students who flew in from Nashville to participate. Samita Ravi, a second‑year medical student at Meharry Medical College, told the council Dry January USA aims to prompt reflection about personal drinking habits and to provide year‑round support through resources such as the Try Dry app and dryjanuaryusa.org. “When you wear the color yellow this month and you think about the color yellow, think about Dry January,” Ravi said.

Officials said local businesses, including some that normally sell alcohol, are participating by offering mocktails and other options. The mayor’s office described the month as a public‑health and wellness promotion tied to local outreach and media coverage; Aurora officials noted an ABC7 story planned to feature the campaign.

City staff and council members framed the initiative as voluntary community outreach rather than a regulatory change. The proclamation referenced Meharry’s national effort and said participants often report lasting benefits such as improved sleep and energy.

The city will host related events and outreach during the lighting week. For more information, the proclamation and resources were identified as DryJanuaryUSA.org and the Try Dry app.