Tickets available for medal ceremony honoring Yushchenko in Philadelphia

by Ulana Mazurkevich

PHILADELPHIA - Tickets to the outdoor ceremony on Saturday, September 17, during which President Victor Yushchenko will receive the prestigious Philadelphia Liberty Medal are free and may be ordered directly from the National Constitution Center. Tickets may be picked up the day of the event.

Many organizations and churches are organizing buses to the award presentation ceremony. Tickets for those arriving on buses have to be ordered in advance. Representatives of the National Constitution Center will meet the buses and will distribute the tickets to bus leaders.

To reserve tickets readers may call Melissa at the National Constitution Center at (215) 409-6695. All ticket-holders will have to pass through security; security check-in will start at 12:30 p.m. People without tickets will be in the unrestricted area on the mall and will be able to view the awards ceremony on large outdoor screens.

Among the prior recipients of the Liberty Medal are Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, Lech Walesa and Hamid Karzai. The medal and the accompanying $100,000 will be presented to President Yushchenko at 2 p.m. on the mall of the National Constitution Center. The Constitution Center is located on Arch street between Fifth and Sixth streets. The hourlong medal presentation ceremony will be broadcast live on the local ABC affiliate.

There is parking in the lot underneath Independence Mall between Fifth and Sixth and Race and Market streets. There is additional parking at Third and Race streets. For security reasons the lot directly under the National Constitution Center will be closed.

After the awards ceremony, at about 3:45 p.m. President and Mrs. Yushchenko will depart for the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the largest Ukrainian church in the U.S. with a seating capacity of 2,000. The cathedral is located only a mile from the National Constitution Center. At the cathedral, President Yushchenko will attend a meeting with Ukrainian youth and the Ukrainian community of Philadelphia.

At 7 p.m. that day a black-tie banquet will be held at the National Constitution Center. The gala starts with a coctail reception at 6-7 p.m. The cost of tickets to the banquet is $250 per person. For tickets readers may call (215) 858-3006.

Ulana Mazurkevich is president of the Philadelphia-based Ukrainian Community to Welcome President Yushchenko.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, September 11, 2005, No. 37, Vol. LXXIII

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