(Nashville, TN)-Tuesday, June
8th at 9:15 AM, a symbol of freedom made its debut appearance in
Nashville. On the steps of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, the
Spirit of Liberty Bike was the focal point of a press conference kicking
off the Bike¹s three day exhibition at the Museum. Featured speakers at
the press conference were Museum Exec. Dir. Kyle Young, the Commissioner
of Tourism for the State of Tennessee Susan Whitaker, First Lieutenant
Doug Coop of the 101st Airborne Division and Liberty Bike owner Rick
Stocks. Also featured during the ceremony were R&B group The Valentines
singing The National Anthem.
The Bike is on display in the
Curb Conservatory of the Museum until Thursday and is free to the public.
The unveiling took on a celebratory while emotional tone as Young
mentioned the half-mast flag behind the stage in honor of the late
President Reagan and remarked that ³Music connects people in a special way
to the spirit of democracy.² 1 LT Coop, 101st Airborne, a special guest
having just returned from an extended tour of duty in Iraq enthused what a
great morale booster the bike will be as he posed in uniform on the bike.
³The troops will be hanging photos of the bike next to pictures of their
families,² he laughed, adding ³The purest form of liberty was freeing
Northern Iraq from the oppression and tyranny of Saddam.²
Commissioner Whitaker praised
Stocks for choosing to bring the Bike and artifacts to Tennessee, ³To
celebrate the heritage and love for freedom in this creatively unique way
with the Liberty Bike.² Stocks closed the unveiling explaining the history
of his involvement with the artifacts and Bike. He emotionally added that
³Holding the event this week is especially fitting because I was there in
New York when President Reagan rededicated Lady Liberty on her 100th
Anniversary.²
The Bike¹s notoriety stems
from its symbolized freedom and liberty representing specifically the
Statue of Liberty, which has been closed since the tragedy of 9/11/01. The
Bike is entirely plated in copper preserved from the Statue of Liberty
National Monument during the restoration of (1984-86). The copper was
procured through an exclusive agreement with the Statue of Liberty/Ellis
Island Foundation, Inc. In addition, the shift lever of the Bike is made
from the electric cable that was previously part of the torch of the
statue; the wheels feature a crafted, copper head of Lady Liberty.
The Spirit of Liberty Bike
has been building undeniable buzz since its unveiling in early 2004. The
Bike was recently documented on the Discovery Channel¹s top series,
American Chopper, currently airing and made its national network
television debut on the Jay Leno Show April 7, 2004. The Bike will leave
the museum to join Tim McGraw's Outloud tour for 62 dates this summer. The
Bike will be a free exhibition to all ticket holders. A complete touring
schedule is available at
www.timmcgraw.com
Pictures from the press
conference are available upon request.
For further information on
The Spirit of Liberty Bike, please contact PLA Media at 615.327.0100 or
visit www.thelibertybike.com.
