| EVENT REPORT 09.05.08 12:09 PM |
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| Monuments and Milestones |
| To start its three-day 50th anniversary conference, AARP gathered members for a picturesque event on the National Mall. |
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Yesterday the temperature climbed into the 90s as some 10,000 people came out for AARP's 50th anniversary celebration on the National Mall, part of the group's three-day Life @50+ National Event & Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The centerpiece of the event was a red stage—matching the T-shirts seen in the crowd—set about 150 feet in front of the Lincoln Memorial at the foot of the reflecting pool.
According to AARP events vice president CB Wismar, the gathering had several purposes. “First, is the 50th birthday of AARP, which caps off a year’s worth of activity on our part. It’s about pulling all our staff and members together on the Mall,” he says. “Our theme is also focused on champions that have made their mark as individuals.” |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | AARP's 50th anniversary celebration included a full program of speakers, including Buzz Aldrin and Sally Field, on a red stage 150 feet from the Lincoln Memorial.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | The 10,000-person crowd sought shelter in the shade as the temperature rose to the high 90s.
Photo: BizBash |
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For the 90-minute program, speakers included astronaut Buzz Aldrin, actress Sally Field, and Olympic gold-medal swimmer Dara Torres. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Elder Bernice King also read an excerpt from her father’s “I have a dream” speech, in honor of its 45th anniversary. Due to the heat, most attendees took to the shade, snatching up free bottled wwater before heading back to the convention center in the 75 provided buses.
—Danielle O'Steen
RELATED TOPICS
AARP, Sally Field, Dara Torres, Buzz Aldrin
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