Freedom Through My Eyes

On Wednesday, March 7th, six lucky middle school students who won the “Freedom Through My Eyes” contest flew to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along with one parent/legal guardian for each winner, for an exciting 4 day/3 night adventure courtesy of the Lakers Youth Foundation and Southwest Airlines. The “Freedom Through My Eyes” contest was open to Los Angeles County middle school students. The goal of the contest was to encourage students to explore the meaning of liberty and our nation’s symbols of freedom. It is important for students to learn about our country’s rich history and reflect on the events that helped shape our great nation. To enter, students were asked to be creative in using their writing and drawing skills to express what freedom means to them.

The winners pose with the Laker Girls and Assistant Coach Craig Hodges in front of Slam Dunk One

The six lucky winners were: Kaylin Johnson (Dodson Middle School/Boys & Girls Club of San Pedro), Jenny Lee (Miraleste Intermediate School), Ronnie Martinez (Dodson Middle School/Boys & Girls Club of San Pedro), Bianca Sanabria (Lennox Middle School), Max Seraphim (Ridge Crest Intermediate School), and Akari Sunaga (Miraleste Intermediate School).

From the moment the winners arrived at Southwest Airline’s ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport, they were greeted with VIP treatment. Southwest Airlines threw a send off party for the group at the boarding gate, complete with purple and gold balloons, a DJ, and lunch. The Lakers Girls, Assistant Coach Craig Hodges and Lakers Hall of Famer James Worthy also showed up to congratulate the winners and wish them well on their trip.

To top it off, Southwest Airlines made special arrangements for “Slam Dunk One,” the NBA-themed specialty plane, to fly the group from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. The only plane of its kind in all of sports, Slam Dunk One is emblazoned with an NBA basketball going through a hoop on the forward portion of the fuselage and also has a customized interior with each of the 30 NBA team logos adorning the overhead compartments. The group could hardly contain their excitement as they boarded the plane because none of them had ever been to Philadelphia and one student had never been on a plane before!

Students and their chaperones just seconds before they run the “Rocky” steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

The next morning, the group was met by their tour guide in the hotel lobby and boarded the awaiting bus for a full day of sightseeing. First stop was the Philadelphia Museum of Art where students raced to the top of the Museum’s steps (made famous by movie character “Rocky Balboa”) for a spectacular view of the city, looking down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Next, the group went on a driving tour of Historic Philadelphia to get a layout of the city. Sights included City Hall, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Pine Street past Antique Row, Pennsylvania Hospital (the nation’s first hospital), and Society Hill, a charming 18th century neighborhood.

The group stopped to tour Christ Church and the home of Betsy Ross, both historical places of interest. Founded in 1695, Christ Church is known as Save“The Nation’s Church” because of the famous Revolutionary-era leaders who worshipped there such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. It was also the first parish of the Church of England in Pennsylvania. Betsy Ross played an important part in the birth of our great nation as the maker of America’s first Stars and Stripes, which later became adopted by Congress in 1777 as our official national flag.

After lunch, the group continued their tour of the city of Brotherly Love by visiting the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed), Congress Hall and Old City Hall. Last stop was a visit to the National Constitution Center which featured a short film and exhibit that explained the history of the Constitution and its importance to people’s daily lives and our country’s history. Later that evening, a pizza party was held for the group where the students had the opportunity to get to know one another better, reflect on their day of sightseeing, and share their essays with one another.

Students pose for a group photo in front of the Liberty Bell

The next day, the students and their chaperones had the opportunity to explore the city on their own to visit more museums and sights, go shopping, and even try a famous Philly cheese steak sandwich. The group reconvened in the evening and boarded a bus for the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers game at Wachovia Center. Their VIP treatment continued as they were given the opportunity to sit courtside to watch players shoot around and KCAL’s John Ireland even interviewed the students on LTV’s pre-game show! The real highlight of the evening for the students was when they had the opportunity to meet players after the game, including Kobe Bryant, Brian Cook, Kwame Brown, and Sasha Vujacic.

The students returned home to Los Angeles on Saturday, a bit tired from their travels, but grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience and learn about our country’s history and eager to share their stories and photos with their classmates. The winners will be invited to the Lakers regular season home game on April 12, 2007 where they will be recognized at halftime and their essays and artwork will be displayed on the main concourse during the game.

Winners pose with Craig Hodges and James Worthy, who provided each winner with a “Big Game James” jersey and hat.	Park Ranger Gus explains and demonstrates to students how a printing press operated in the 18th century.
The winners are being interviewed by KCAL’s John Ireland during the LTV pre-game show.	Kobe Bryant takes time after the game to meet the lucky winners.