Independence Day, along with Thanksgiving, is perhaps the quintessential American holiday. It is an annual summer tradition that Americans — and friends of America around the world — cherish and anticipate with joy.

July 4th means fun with family and friends. It means fireworks and picnics and games. It is a celebration of all these things, but in the context of something even more important — individual freedom. It is freedom that we commemorate on the Fourth of July.

Freedom is certainly one of the most basic of human rights, one that Americans and Bermudians alike treasure. Personal freedom — when joined with personal responsibility and the rule of law — is the bedrock of all functioning democracies. Freedom deserves celebration always, but especially on July 4th when we recollect the true meaning behind the holiday.

This year the American Society of Bermuda and the United States Consulate — teamed with Corporate Bermuda and 60 great Bermuda Charities — are hosting an Independence Day Celebration like none other. This year's celebration (July 1st from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Moresby Plain in Dockyard) is very likely the largest event of its kind in Bermuda's history and by far the largest July 4th event ever. Over 5,000 guests are expected at the celebration — almost ten percent of Bermuda's population. Despite its size, we hope this celebration will have an old-fashioned, family atmosphere that provides the perfect time to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family from throughout the Island.

But this year's celebration is not only about the freedom to enjoy ourselves, but also about the responsibility that each of us has to give back to our society. These two core values, freedom and responsibility, are joined in the theme that has guided the American Society and the American Consulate in planning this year's event: "Celebrating Freedom: Giving Back to Bermuda". These two ideas naturally complement each other, with Bermuda's non-profit community — and the Bermudian public that it serves — as the beneficiaries.

In fact, "Giving Back to Bermuda" is what this year's July 4th celebration is all about. We hope that all of our guests will take a good look at many of Bermuda's finest charities that will be partnering with us at the celebration — each will have a table and information about their Mission and how they serve the people of Bermuda. So we truly hope that each of our guests will have a great time — and that each guest will choose at least one charity to work with going forward. In this way we encourage all of our guests to Give Back to Bermuda, as corporate Bermuda has already done so generously.

Corporate Bermuda is indeed the driving force behind this year's celebration. It is only through the generous support of our corporate sponsors that philanthropy has been able to take a starring role in this year's event. Corporate Bermuda cares about the people of Bermuda — and especially for the less fortunate among us.

Bermuda's finest companies have stepped up to the plate to provide the funds necessary to host the event and to allow us to make a significant donation to each of the great Bermuda charities. Thank you, Corporate Bermuda, for your leadership in Giving Back to Bermuda so generously and so often.

And thanks to each of our 20 Co-Chairs who have laboured long and tirelessly to plan and organise this celebration. In particular I would like to recognise and express my appreciation to my overall celebration co-chairman, Cindy Campbell and Brad Woodings, president of the American Society. Their assistance has been little short of amazing. But it was the team effort that made it happen. All of our 20 celebration co-chairs who have been responsible for everything from food to fireworks deserve a special thank you. Each of them has volunteered hundreds of hours of personal time — and without them this celebration would not have been possible.

Thanks are also due the Bermuda Department of Tourism and Transport, particularly to Minister Ewart Brown and Permanent Secretary Marc Telemaque, for their cooperation in organising a minor mass transit miracle. Starting at 4 p.m. and running continuously until midnight, extra fast ferries and special express buses will move our guests for free to and from Moresby Plain from Hamilton, Rockaway and St. George's. Special, free parking is available for free to guests in each of those locations. Best of all, travel on any bus or ferry at any time on July 1st will be free for those with their official celebration wristbands.

The American Society and the American Consulate are strongly urging guests to take advantage of this free mass transit to make the evening more enjoyable. See www.americansociety.bm for details.

In closing, we very much hope that you and your loved ones will "Celebrate Freedom" today and throughout the July 4th holiday. But we also hope that you will remember to "Give Back to Bermuda" by choosing at least one Bermuda charity to work with going forward. Thanks to our great sponsors and our wonderful charities — we hope that the benefits of this year's July 4th celebration will be a blessing to Bermuda for years to come. Gregory W. Slayton is the US Consul General.