AT THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE

Free Admission for First 1,000 Visitors

Philadelphia, PA (December 28, 2009) – In honor of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., the National Constitution Center will participate in the city-wide celebration on Monday, January 18, 2010.  From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., visitors of all ages will enjoy musical and dramatic performances and special craft activities.  In the spirit of Dr. King, visitors can also participate in a quilting service project for the Women Against Abuse shelter.  The first 1,000 visitors on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will receive free admission to the National Constitution Center, compliments of Merck.

“There is no better role model for active civic participation than Dr. King, who so eloquently championed the principles on which our nation was founded,” said National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner.  “We encourage everyone to spend their day off expanding their civic horizons by participating in service projects at the Center and throughout the city.”

To continue the legacy of Dr. King, visitors can join in a service project to sew quilts, baby blankets, and pillows for the nonprofit organization, Women Against Abuse. Participants will also learn how quilting has brought communities together throughout history.  Over the past three years, National Constitution Center staff, volunteers, visitors and students have gathered to make over 60 quilts, 45 baby blankets, and 150 pillows for the shelter.

At 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the Kirby Auditorium, visitors can take part in a sing-along concert with “Two of a Kind,” an award-winning, nationally touring, husband-wife duo who specialize in interactive musical programs for children.  The performance will focus on themes related to Martin Luther King, Jr. through songs, puppets, movement, and stories, all with an emphasis on interaction and participation.  

In addition, students from local colleges and local actors will read aloud Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech in the Kirby Auditorium at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. 

Throughout the day, visitors can post their responses to questions related to Martin Luther King, Jr., diversity, and citizenship, on a special “talkback” board in the Grand Hall Lobby.  Children will also have the opportunity to make special crafts, including a “Hands across the World” chain and an “I Have a Dream” mobile.  

About Merck
Today's Merck is working to help the world be well.  Through our medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer and animal products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions.  We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching programs that donate and deliver our products to the people who need them.

Merck.  Be Well.  For more information, visit www.merck.com.

About the National Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents.  The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues.  The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, “Freedom Rising”.  The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org. 

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