Colin Hanna to Be Honored at Constitution Day
***NEWS RELEASE***
For Immediate Release
September 13, 2011
CONTACT:
Deborah Hamilton, Hamilton Strategies, 215.815.7716, 610.584.1096, [email protected]
Matt Mackowiak, (202) 737-2630 / (512) 423-6116, [email protected]
Let Freedom Ring’s Colin Hanna Honored with Award at Constitution Day Philadelphia Celebration
Let Freedom Ring Spearheads Nationwide Events That Encourage Americans to Read the Constitution Aloud on September 17
WILMINGTON, DE —This Saturday, September 17, Americans around the country will mark Constitution Day with public readings of the U.S. Constitution, and one of the Constitutions’ most staunch defenders, Colin Hanna of Let Freedom Ring, will be honored.
In Philadelphia—where the Constitution was signed by 39 brave men on September 17, 1787—the "Constituting America" event will create a new excitement for America ‘s founding document and recognize leaders in the movement to educate and inspire Americans to appreciate the U.S. Constitution.
Set for 10 a.m. to noon at the National Constitution Center Kirby Auditorium, 525 Arch Street, Independence Mall, Philadelphia, Pa. , the event will feature an out loud reading of the U.S. Constitution, as well as honor Let Freedom Ring President Colin Hanna.
Hanna will be named a 2011 Constituting America Constitutional Champion. The former Chester County Commissioner is president of Let Freedom Ring, a public policy non-profit organization committed to promoting Constitutional government, economic freedom and traditional values. He also founded WeReadTheConstitution.com, a movement that encourages Americans to gather for readings of the U.S. Constitution.
Back in the spring of 2010, Hanna was looking for a way to make Americans more aware of the actual contents of the U.S. Constitution.
"It struck me," Hanna said, "that if Americans were to read the Constitution out loud with their neighbors they could not help but see how the Founding Fathers limited the national government to a few core functions in order to protect our liberty and security. The Constitution is such an important part of who we truly are as Americans, and it takes on even greater significance when we read it out loud, either by ourselves or in groups. We can read the entire Constitution and all 27 Amendments in just an hour, and it will make an indelible impact on each of us when we read the words the shaped our country 224 years ago."
Last year, more than 160 public readings of the United States Constitution took place across the country. WeReadTheConstitution.com was created to promote the reading of the Constitution in its entirety by as many Americans as possible. The We Read the Constitution events will help solidify America’s commitment to those ideals and remind Americans of the country’s roots and the importance of liberty and freedom.
Visitors to the site can learn ways to host a We Read the Constitution party, find a We Read the Constitution event in their area, register as a reader of the Constitution themselves or print a copy of the Constitution.
Thus far for the 2011 commemoration of the signing, more 30 events are planned in 20 states, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Portland, Oregon, and as far reaching as Anchorage, Alaska . More cities are planning their own We Read the Constitution events each day.
Also at Saturday’s Philadelphia event, winners of the Constituting America 2011 We The People 9.17 contest will be introduced and will perform. The function is led by actress, Constituting America founder and co-chair Janine Turner, who worked closely with Hanna on the WeReadTheConstitution.com project. Featured performances will include 2011’s "Best Songs," screenings of the two award-winning short films, public service announcements and the presentation of winning poems—all created by students.
The students, aged 8 to 20, were selected by a celebrity panel of judges from hundreds of finalist entries, as winners in their categories for best song, public service announcement, short film, speech, essay, poetry and artwork. A documentary to be viewed in schools and homes across the nation will also be filmed during the event.
Those in attendance may also visit the Signers’ Hall exhibit of the Constitution Center , which features life-sized statues of each of the 39 Delegates to the Constitutional Convention who signed the Constitution, as well as the three who refused. There, the entire U.S. Constitution will be read aloud to observe and honor a historic day on September 17, 1787, when the Constitution was signed.
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To schedule interviews with Colin Hanna, President of Let Freedom Ring, contact Deborah Hamilton, Hamilton Strategies, 215.815.7716, 610.584.1096, [email protected] , or Matt Mackowiak, (202) 737-2630 / (512) 423-6116, [email protected]
Colin Hanna is President of Let Freedom Ring, a 501 (c)(4) public policy non-profit organization committed to promoting Constitutional government, free enterprise and traditional values.
