Washington, D.C.  – The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. has announced plans for the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorialin West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. The official dedication will occur on Sunday, August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King’s historic I Have A Dream speech, beginning with a pre-dedication concert at 10 a.m. The dedication ceremony will commence at 11 a.m. and a post-dedication concert will follow beginning at 2 p.m.

Reserved tickets to the historic event will be distributed through an online lottery system. The public may request up to two tickets by visiting www.dedicatethedream.org  and submitting their information into the ticket lottery. Visitors must register by 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 31 to be included in the lottery for the random selection process. Ticket recipients for the seated and reserved standing areas will be notified by email on June 15, 2011. Public standing areas that do not require tickets will also be available.

“We are thrilled that we will be dedicating the Memorial to Dr. King in the coming months, and the Foundation looks forward, with great pride, to presenting this Memorial – this dream – that we’ve worked to build, to the people. Dr. King, his life, his dream, and his legacy, will be a source of history and inspiration for all people, for all time,” saidHarry E. Johnson, Sr., president and CEO of the MLK Memorial Foundation. “I’m very much looking forward to celebrating this momentous event with my fellow Americans and people around the world who understand what this memorial stands for, and the relevance of Dr. King’s message.”

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial is the first on the National Mall to honor a man of hope, a man of peace, and a man of color. Located on the Tidal Basin, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial creates a visual line of leadership between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. The memorial will be an engaging landscape experience conveying four fundamental and recurring themes throughout Dr. King’s life – democracy, justice, hope, and love – and features the use of natural elements including water, stone, and trees. A 450-foot inscription wall will feature more than a dozen Dr. King quotes engraved into granite to serve as a lasting testament and reminder of Dr. King’s humanitarian vision. The memorial will include the “Mountain of Despair” and the “Stone of Hope,” which will feature a 30-foot sculpture of Dr. King.

To learn more about dedication plans, including events that will take place earlier in Dedication Week, please visit www.dedicatethedream.org.  The site will be updated frequently as Dedication planning progresses and offer the latest available information. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation is currently collecting personal stories about how Dr. King affected the lives of Americans and people around the world. All are invited to submit memories of working alongside Dr. King, participating in the March on Washington, and more by visiting www.dedicatethedream.org/mystory.

General Motors Company will serve as the Dedication Chair and Dedication Co-Chair is the Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation. For a complete list of supporters or to make a donation, visitwww.buildthedream.org.

Media Note: For more information, photos, or to schedule interviews with Harry Johnson, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. please contact Dan Gregory at 202.414.0785 or dgregory@susandavis.com.

About the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.
A Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is being built on the National Mall, situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Congress passed Joint Resolutions in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to establish a Memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring Dr. King. The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on November 13, 2006. McKissack & McKissack / Turner Construction Company / Tompkins Builders, Inc. / Gilford Corporation Joint Venture serves as the Design-Build Team. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.buildthedream.org.

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