This is just a smattering of the themes and activities at the 2011 Arizona Celebration of Freedom, an inaugural event celebrating the birth of the United States of America.  This event is destined to become a signature event for Mesa and theh State of Arizona.  As additional photos of the event are available they will be added. 

Office of the Mayor

For Immediate Release: September 10, 2010

Contact: Melissa Randazzo

Public Information and Communications Specialist

480.644.3219

melissa.randazzo@mesaaz.gov

Mesa’s Arizona Celebration of Freedom wins 2010 Event of the Year

The Southwest Ambulance Arizona Celebration of Freedom has been named 2010 Event of the Year by the Arizona Festival and Events Association (AFEA). This is the first time an inaugural event has won Event of the Year. The award was presented at the 16th annual APS AzTEC Awards, which recognize Arizona's best in festival and event production and marketing.

This unique celebration of America’s freedom and independence brought two exciting days of patriotic activities and attractions to more than 50,000 attendees on the streets of downtown Mesa.

"It’s amazing that our inaugural event earned such a prestigious award," Mayor Scott Smith said. "But I am not surprised. The allegiance I saw to the celebration from everyone involved truly made it spectacular."

The Southwest Ambulance Arizona Celebration of Freedom was designed to stand apart from other local fireworks shows as a truly patriotic event celebrating America’s freedom. The event was presented by the Chicago Cubs, KOOL-FM, Downtown Mesa Association and the Sertoma Club of Mesa and was produced by Entertainment Solutions, Inc.

"I am proud that Southwest Ambulance sponsored the first Arizona Celebration of Freedom," Southwest Ambulance Senior Vice President and Executive Director Roy Ryals said. "We are always looking for ways to support the Mesa community and this one was a real hit."

The event was created by several dedicated and passionate community groups working diligently together to incorporate their ideas into one seamless patriotic themed event. Little did they know that they were building the beginning of a legacy; a celebration that would stand as the most successful event to ever take place in downtown Mesa. It is clear why the Arizona Celebration of Freedom has been awarded the 2010 AzTEC Event of the Year; it had American nostalgia, education and patriotism all brought together through volunteerism and community involvement.

Funding for this inaugural event was provided by 100 percent sponsorship monies with more than $200,000 raised by local businesses.

For more information on the Southwest Ambulance Arizona Celebration of Freedom, visit the event’s Web site: http://www.azcelebrationoffreedom.org.

 It is impossible to display via video or still photos  the magnitude of this inaugural event.  It is estimated that the first night (Friday) there were about 10,000 in attendance, followed by the Saturday extraveganza totaling well in excess of 50,000 attendees. It was a solid sea of humanity all enjoying thenselves to the fullest

There was much of lightheartedness as well as sobering displays such as the fallen warrior memorial walk, (left) as well as educational choirs, bands, story telling and short historical dramatizations.

It was truly a family-friendly activity, having activities for every age from infant to great Grandpas and Grandmas

The downtown area containing the two day event was about a half mile long and a quarter mile wide.

Click on any picture to view an enlargement  or you can select to see them as a slide show.

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Visitors were greeted and photographed with The Fouonding Fathers,  Moiuntain men who foght in the Revolutionary War, some of the army war heros and common citizens of the day whogave civilian assistance to the war effort.  Each had their story about their place in history.

Visitors had assistance through modern technology to look bck in time to find evidence of their ancestor's participation in the military's role in winning our independence and protecting it in later wars