History Comes to Life at Third Annual Constitution Day

One might be surprised to see former presidents George Washington, James Madison and Abraham Lincoln waltzing around town, but it was a welcome sight on Saturday at the Lincoln Shrine Memorial for the third annual Constitution Day. The event is put on each year by volunteers with the 4400 Project in the effort to bring history alive and promote an educational yet entertaining experience for both adults and children in Redlands and surrounding areas. The event runs each year in September, near the date that the United States Constitution was adopted by the Philadelphia Convention on September 17, 1787, and ratified nearly a year later on June 21, 1788. Funded solely by private contributions, event coordinators estimated that approximately 1,000 visitors participated in the event, which ran from 11 a.m. Saturday morning, Sept. 14, through 3 p.m. Greg Brittain is a Redlands-based attorney who has been volunteering his time with the 4400 Project—named for the 4,400 words that make up the U.S. Constitution, the shortest written yet longest-lasting Constitution ever to exist. “I think it’s an important subject,” he said Saturday as visitors settled the grounds in preparation for the Opening Ceremonies and presentations. “[The Constitution] really is the foundation of our freedom and our democracy.” 4400 Project Director Terri Wymer said the idea for Constitution Day was inspired three years ago by a small group of active community members who were interested in making history fun again. “We wanted to do something for the community that focused on history but also made it fun and engaging. This is for people who are interested in learning more,” she said. The Mountain Fife and Drum Corps from Lake Arrowhead, Calif. performed during the Opening Ceremonies to officially begin the event, and the Sons of the American Revolution presented the Colors. The Corps then played the National Anthem to a round of applause after they finished. They then played traditional Revolutionary War-era music and answered questions for the crowd. Dana T. Parker is an actor who portrayed James Madison at the event. For him, historic presentations such as Constitution Day were a way to make history come alive for people today. “In recent history, even all the way back to Lincoln’s time, we have photographs, but not at the nation’s foundations. There are portraits, which aren’t quite the same,” Parker said. “When you have actors who come and appear in person and talk about checks and balances, or natural rights, that [student] is going to go back to his textbook and it will mean something different. It brings a connection home that will last, and for me there’s nothing more fulfilling than that.” Shelly Greve and her son, Trenton Hooper, a junior this year at Redlands East Valley High School, stopped by the event and made sure to get their picture taken with Madison and Washington. Greve said, “I came out here to get [Trenton] involved and learning about some things that people should care more about.” The event also featured food trucks, a car show and various informational booths. Visitors also had the chance to read and sign a paper version of the United States Constitution. The 4400 Project is also donating half the proceeds to the Injured Marines Semper Fi Club, and the Lincoln Memorial Shrine put up a special exhibit for the event that is running through this week. The event also features an essay contest available to all Redlands high schools. Essay prompts were announced Sept. 17. The first place winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship, with the second and third place winners receiving scholarships worth $500 and $250, respectively.