Contact:
Rica Orszag
Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial Foundation Project, Inc.
202-253-8974
rorszag@mlkmemorial.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ben Affleck, Shaquille O’Neal and LaDainian Tomlinson join
Concert’s Host Committee and Al Roker signs on as Guest Presenter

Concert Held at Radio City Music Hall on September 18, 2007

(Washington, DC, June 20, 2007) – The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Robin Thicke, Bebe Winans, Cece Winans and Jessye Norman are the first performers to join the all-star line up for The Dream Concert to benefit the building of the Memorial on the National Mall.  The Foundation also announced Al Roker as a special guest presenter and Ben Affleck, Shaquille O’Neal and LaDanian Tomlinson have agreed to join the Concert’s Host Committee.  The Dream Concert will be held at Radio City Music Hall on September 18, 2007, with tickets available to the general public this summer. Go to www.thedreamconcert.com for more information.

Tommy Hilfiger, Russell Simmons, Joel Horowitz, Quincy Jones, David Stern and Edgar Bronfman, Jr. are co-chairing The Dream Concert, a historic gathering of the top musicians in the country, as well as prominent figures from politics, sports and entertainment to benefit the building of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. Also on board for the once-in-a-lifetime concert are Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as the event’s artistic directors and Muhammad Ali, Angela Bassett, Jamie Foxx, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kerry Washington and former Mayor David Dinkins as the Host Committee members.  

The Dream Concert will embody the ideals of hope, love, democracy, and justice for which Dr. King stood. The concert will capture the essence of his lasting teaching by joining together musicians from across genre lines, featuring unique musical combinations not usually found on the same stage. The Memorial Foundation has already raised $79.5 million of the $100 million needed to complete and maintain the memorial, and this event will help secure the additional funds.

Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.
A memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  The Memorial will be situated adjacent to the F.D.R. 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 honoring Dr. King to be built in Washington, DC.  The Ceremonial Groundbreaking took place on November 13, 2006 and the Memorial is scheduled to be completed in 2008.  Website:  www.buildthedream.org.  

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