MIAMI, Sept. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival
Corporation, through its philanthropic arm, Carnival Foundation, is
donating $2 million to the
Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American
History & Culture. Eleven years in the making and built
at a cost of $540 million, the museum
opened Sept. 24 on the National Mall
with a dedication ceremony featuring remarks by President
Barack Obama and a three-day music
and spoken-word festival called "Freedom Sounds: A Community
Celebration." In recognition of the gift, NMAAHC has designated
Carnival Corporation a Founding Donor of the museum.
"The National Museum of African American History & Culture
is a celebration of the many contributions African Americans have
made to the history, culture and community of the United States," said Linda Coll, executive director of Carnival
Foundation. "The organizations that Carnival Corporation supports
through Carnival Foundation reflect the great value the company
places on diversity and inclusion in the communities that we touch,
and we are honored to be a part of this new museum."
The 390,000-square-foot National Museum of African American
History & Culture is located on a 5-acre site adjacent to the
Washington Monument. Its 12 inaugural exhibitions feature more than
3,000 objects and cover topics ranging from military and sports
history to performing arts and the western and northern
migration.
Each day of the three-day "Freedom Sounds: A Community
Celebration" had a theme: Friday was "Homecoming," Saturday was
"Celebration" and Sunday was "Call and Response." The events and
concerts highlighted music traditions such as jazz, R&B,
gospel, folk, classical, New
Orleans brass band, Afro-Latin jazz and hip-hop.
About the National Museum African America of History &
Culture
The NMAAHC is the only national museum devoted
exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history
and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003,
following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the
contributions of African Americans. To date, the museum has
collected nearly 40,000 artifacts. Nearly 100,000 individuals have
become charter members of the museum. When the NMAAHC opened on
Sept. 24, 2016, it became the 19th
and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
About Carnival Foundation
Carnival Foundation oversees
the many philanthropic endeavors of Carnival Corporation and its 10
affiliated cruise line brands as well as its employee-driven
service group, the "Friends Uniting Neighbors" (F.U.N.) Team.
Although Carnival Foundation's contributions are spread to
communities where the brands operate, the company primarily focuses
on organizations based in South
Florida, where Carnival Corporation is headquartered.
Through monetary and in-kind donations, innovative philanthropic
programs, employee fundraisers and hands-on volunteer initiatives,
Carnival Foundation and the brands of Carnival Corporation support
a variety of organizations.
About Carnival Corporation
Carnival Corporation &
plc is the largest leisure travel company in the world, and among
the most profitable and financially strong in the industry.
With a portfolio of 10 cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Line,
Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA
Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK).
Together, these brands operate 101 ships visiting over 700 ports
around the world and totaling 225,000 lower berths with 18 new
ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and 2022. Carnival
Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska
Tours, the leading tour companies in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both
the New York and London Stock
Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the
world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100
indices.
Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com,
www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com,
www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com and www.fathom.org.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation