Press Releases

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum April 19, 2009, Calendar of Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 3, 2009

Contact: Nancy Coggins, APR
405.235.3313 or 405.760.9053

nc@oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

April 19, 2009 Calendar of Events

14^th Annual Remembrance Ceremony

9 a.m.

We gather each year on the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Because the ceremony takes place on Sunday this year, the ceremony will consist of multi-faith readings of scripture, prayer and hope. Music by Christian recording artist Jami Smith, 168 seconds of silence and a reading of the names will also be a part of the ceremony. The public is welcome.

Smith will premiere Stand Together, a special song inspired by the Symbols of Faith that help so many to heal after tragedies such as the Oklahoma City bombing. A video of the song is available at www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/standtogether.

A list of names in the order they will be read is available to media upon request. Media credentials are required for all Memorial events. Credentials for the ceremony can be picked up from Nancy Coggins at the Survivor Tree prior to 8:50 a.m. Please call or e-mail to reserve your credentials.

Cox Communications Community Day – Free Memorial Museum admission

On this day, entry into the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum is free of charge, thanks to the generous support of Cox Communications. The Memorial Museum will open at 10 a.m., following the Remembrance Ceremony. Last entry into the Museum is at 5 p.m.

National Media Symposium: Media in Today’s Society with NBC News Anchor Ann Curry

4:30 p.m.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum will host its annual National Media Symposium, featuring Ann Curry, Emmy-award winning correspondent, Today Show News anchor and Dateline anchor for NBC News, who will discuss Media in Today’s Society. Curry has distinguished herself in global humanitarian reporting, traveling to Sudan multiple times to report on the violence and ethnic cleansing taking place in Darfur and Chad. She also reported on the Israel-Lebanon war, and was one of the only American reporters to file stories on both sides of the conflict from Beirut and Northern Israel.

This half-hour program will be moderated by KFOR-DT NewsChannel 4 Anchor Linda Cavanaugh, and broadcast locally by KFOR in Oklahoma City. This event is open to the public, but due to limited seating, tickets are required for admission. Call 405.235.3313 for information on reserving tickets.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

BROADCAST MEDIA: This program will be broadcast locally on KFOR and is available for broadcast by NBC affiliates through a news-on-demand feed from KFOR. A direct feed will be available onsite through the KFOR production truck during the first five minutes of the show for all other outlets needing footage.

National Park Service Public Programs

1:30, 2:30 and 3:45 p.m.

National Park Service Rangers will provide special interpretive talks on the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial for the public under the Survivor Tree. Between the Gates of Time will be the featured topic for those talks.

April 18 marks the beginning of National Park Week, and to help our partner, the National Park Service, celebrate, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum will offer buy-one, get-one free admission to all holders of National Park Service annual park passes, April 18-26.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum does not receive any annual operating funds from the federal, state or local government. Museum admissions, store sales, the OKC Memorial Marathon, earnings from an endowment and private fundraising allow the Memorial and Museum to be self-sustaining.

Reflections of Hope Award Dinner*

6 p.m.

The Reflections of Hope Award honors a living person or currently active organization whose conduct exemplifies in an extraordinary fashion two core beliefs of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation: that hope can survive and blossom despite the tragedy and chaos of political violence and that, even in environments marred by such violence, peaceful, nonviolent approaches provide the best answers to human problems. The award, in its fifth year, exemplifies that hope not only survives but also thrives in the wake of political violence. This year’s honoree is Father Alex Reid, who is being honored for his life’s work in the peace process in Northern Ireland. NBC News Anchor Ann Curry will be the keynote speaker. Tickets are available for $168 each by calling 405.235.3313.

The Reflections of Hope Award was established by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in honor of Linda Lambert’s service to the Memorial. Ann Curry’s appearance is made possible through the generous support of the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

Digital audio and video files of Father Reid’s award acceptance will be available to the media Monday, April 20, 2009, after 9 a.m. CDT. Please contact Nancy Coggins at 405.235.3313 or nc@oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org if you would like access to these files.

Symbols of Faith

On display beginning April 18, 2009

A collection of oversized photos by Oklahoma photojournalist Ann E. Clark captures the hope and healing that happens through a community’s journey of faith. Many symbols of faith can be seen throughout the Memorial and Museum. These items that have been left as mementos and prayers on the fence, or captured in the personal belongings of those who were killed, help tell the story of that day inside the Memorial Museum. See some of the many Symbols of Faith in this special exhibit.

Reporting Terrorism

Through November 30, 2009

When terrorism strikes, people around the world turn to the media for information. Reporting Terrorism, a special exhibit designed by the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, examines what it takes to report a crisis, and how Oklahoma City changed the way media responds. The exhibit goes beyond Oklahoma City to discuss the continuing coverage of terrorism and the effect new technologies have on how citizens receive the news as well as how journalists cover breaking news. Interviews with reporters bring to life their experiences and the impact those experiences have had on each reporter. Photos illustrate the fierce editorial debates about what is appropriate to print or broadcast. Artifacts, including broadcast equipment, scripts, correspondence between Timothy McVeigh and members of the media, reporters’ notebooks, and the helmet ABC Anchor Bob Woodruff was wearing when he was critically injured covering the War on Terror in Iraq are on display.

The exhibit was made possible through the generous support of Devon Energy Corporation, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Cox Communications and OPUBCO Communications Group. Special thanks goes to KFOR Oklahoma’s NewsChannel 4, KOCO Eyewitness News 5, KWTV News 9, The Skirvin Hilton, The Oklahoman, Oklahoma Gazette, Tulsa World, The Journal Record and Southwestern Stationery and Bank Supply, Inc.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor “those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever” by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected.

The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is free of charge. The Memorial Museum is open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday, 1-6 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+) and $6 for students (5-college with valid ID). Children under 5 are admitted free. Group rates and programs are available. Special exhibits are included in the cost of admission. Ticket sales end at 5 p.m. daily. The Museum is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

For more information on the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, call (888) 542-HOPE or visit www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org.

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