Freedom Fest FF Program 2019 | Page 3

Sing the Songs of America Music is the cornerstone for many of our lives. Frustrated with the lack of a singing voice or any musical skill, I enjoy music with a passion unrivaled by few things in my life. That is why I am excited that this year’s Freedom Fest theme is, “Sing the Songs of America.” While that topic refers to the patriotic songs of America, for me, it has a more signifi cant reference. I feel all the songs we sing in our country could be considered songs of America. The fact that we have such diversity in style, lyrics, and instrumentation refl ects the freedoms we have in our country. From the Declaration of Independence through the Revolutionary War to the creation of our constitution, the birth of our nation was an amazing, improbable series of occurrences that, in hindsight seemed destined to happen. First, the thirteen diverse colonies agreed to rebel against the most powerful nation of its time. Then, a rebel army that was trapped escaped repeatedly to fi ght another day. Although stymied, they defeated the most powerful armed forces of the era. Afterward, colonies, with no reason except mutual protection and success, agreed to work together to form a unique republic for the modern era with a systematic set of checks and balances that has endured to this day. Promised in the Bill of Rights, the freedoms we enjoy today are worth cherishing. Join us as we once again bring the Freedom Fest events to Morgan Hill in recognition of the July 4th holiday. This year’s Patriotic Sing and Essay Contest is especially enjoyable, with over 400 essays submitted. The Recurrents return to the Family Music Fest along with DJ E-Poki. July 4th begins early with our Freedom Run as usual. The Parade starts earlier again this year with the Car Cruise leading the way. The Car Show is going to be bigger than ever, and we welcome hometown favorites the Usual Suspects back along with Cocktail Monkeys as well as Cook and Fenny to our Fireworks on the Green stage. To make sure that everyone, new and old, living in Morgan Hill and San Martin knows about the Freedom Fest, we are mailing this program to everyone in both towns. Over 21 thousand addresses! Our dedicated group of patriotic community-minded volunteers continue to work closely and over the years have developed the feeling of being part of a big family. United, we share a vision of how to serve our community. We welcome everyone who would like to be a part of this fantastic team go to www.morganhillfreedomfest.com to volunteer. Help us keep this Morgan Hill tradition alive. The IDCI family invites you and your family to join the Morgan Hill Freedom Fest events as we once again create a little Morgan Hill togetherness by celebrating “Sing the Songs of America” ★ JEFF DIXON IDC President Mission Statement Independence Day Celebrations (IDC) is a non-profi t organization committed to uniting the community of Morgan Hill, CA around the vision of our founding fathers who boldly proclaimed that “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” We are committed to reinforcing and sustaining the principles of American freedom in our community through Independence Day events of the Morgan Hill Freedom Fest. SING THE SONGS OF America Morgan Hill Freedom Fest 2019 1