The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2009, will honor three individuals — including Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini — as “Everyday Freedom Heroes” for their commitment to community engagement, human rights and social justice.

Castellini, along with longtime journalist and TV anchor Nick Clooney and former Essence Magazine Editor Susan Taylor, will be honored at an evening reception and dinner on October 10 at the Freedom Center. The event, with the theme, “Triumph of the Human Spirit,” will conclude a day-long series of activities, including an inaugural Film Festival and related children and family activities.

All of the films and children’s activities are free with Freedom Center admission.  Admission for the evening reception and dinner is $75.00 and advance reservations are requested by September 25 by calling 1-888-778-7321 or ordering online from our giftshop.

The events will celebrate the Freedom Center’s fifth birthday and its Mission to inspire and educate contemporary audiences about the lessons of history and how those lessons apply in today’s world, said Freedom Center CEO Donald Murphy.

“When the idea for a center to celebrate the history and meaning of the Underground Railroad was first discussed, there was immediate and broad support locally and nationally for this unique and inspiring place,” Murphy said. “Five years later, following a highly successful capital campaign and the building of a nationally recognized cultural learning center, the Freedom Center proudly stands as a monument to freedom, equality, and the triumph of the human spirit.”

The reception and dinner event, from 6 to 10 p.m., and featuring live and silent auctions and “by the bite” food selections, is being hosted by the Ambassadors of the Freedom Center, whose mission is to who help promote the positive impact of the Freedom Center and assist in its fund-raising efforts. Event Co-Chairs are Marlene Johnson and Lillian Jones.

“The best way to mark the milestone of the Freedom Center’s first five years is to honor individuals whose lives reflect a profound dedication to freedom,” said Mrs. Jones. “Throughout their careers, Bob Castellini, Nick Clooney and Susan Taylor epitomize everything the Freedom Center stands for: respect for the individual, community service, and championing social justice and human rights.”

Mrs. Johnson added that the event will also provide an opportunity to recognize and honor a number of individuals who played significant roles in the Freedom Center’s creation. “Many hands and minds – and hearts – were involved in turning the idea of the Freedom Center into reality,” she said, “and the reception and dinner will be our chance to express our thanks to those who helped launch this wonderful center.”

The Film Festival will open at 10 a.m. on October 10 with a screening and discussion of an hour-long documentary, “Inside Islam.” At noon, the Turner Network Television movie, “Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story,” will be shown, with a video-taped introduction by Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon portrayed in the film. At 2:30 Nick Clooney will host a screening of “Cabin in the Sky,” a landmark 1943 musical with an all-Black cast. Clooney will then lead a discussion of the film. All showings will be in the 300-seat Harriet Tubman Theater.

Throughout the day, several children activities are being planned, including performances by Madcap Theater Puppets.