One possible version:

Dear Mike,  

I’m so proud that your city is going to hold such a speech competition to promote Australians’ awareness of Chinese culture. I’m writing to recommend the Lantern Festival among so many traditional festivals.

The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar, which marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. During the festival, children go out at night carrying red lanterns symbolizing good fortune and solve riddles on lanterns. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, it started to become a festival of great significance. Nowadays, the festival has become popular in western countries, especially in cities with large Chinese communities.

If you need more information about the festival, just feel free to ask me. Wish you success in the competition!

Yours,