Philadelphia, PA – November
27, 2012 –
Since “re-emerging” on the scene last year, the young and witty Ben Franklin has become a big hit in the
historic city of Philadelphia – where he first came to prominence all those
years ago – as well as beyond the region.
The young and witty
Ben Franklin has
earned accolades for his appearances at a number of high-profile public and
private events over the past 12 months.
Among his many recent activities, the young and witty Ben Franklin (as
portrayed by actor Rob DeVitis) has:
·
Appeared
at Bemidji State University in
Minnesota to celebrate Constitution Day (September 17th). During the day-long appearance, the young and
witty Ben Franklin asked those in attendance questions from the United States
Citizenship Test, with the theme, “Are you smarter than a Redcoat?” Those who got six or more correct answers
were considered Patriots, while the others were considered Redcoats.
·
Greeted
participants at the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society (Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter) Light the Night Walk at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art on Saturday, October 27th.
·
Appeared
on billboards and other advertising in the Greater Philadelphia region promoting
the 16th Annual March of
Dimes Signature Chefs Gala Presented by Lincoln Financial Group, which was
held on November 16th at the Please Touch Museum. The
young and witty Ben Franklin also appeared in person at the gala, which
featured Philadelphia’s premier restaurants and chefs raising funds for the
March of Dimes with an evening of food and the annual Signature Chefs Auction.
·
The young and witty
Ben Franklin
presented the opening remarks for the 2012
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Annual Convention
and World Languages Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Friday,
November 16th. He performed a 15-minute
presentation along with ACTFL President David McAlpine. The annual convention brings together
thousands of teachers, administrators, method instructors and students of
foreign languages at all levels from across the world. The convention features
over 600 educational sessions on such topics areas as: Assessment, Culture,
Curriculum, Literature, Methods/Techniques, Advocacy and Policy Issues,
Professional Development, Research, Specific Purposes, Standards and
Technology.
In
addition, the young and witty Ben
Franklin became a Preferred Vendor
of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau to provide
additional resources to conventions, groups, and meetings planning to hold
events in the Philadelphia area.
Also
this fall, the young and witty Ben
Franklin began offering “A Walk with
Ben,” available by advanced reservation for group tours. “A
Walk with Ben” is a new walking tour with the young and witty Ben Franklin along with the best tour guides in
Philadelphia, throughout the historic Old City Philadelphia district. It’s the
only tour in Philadelphia where you can be accompanied by the young and witty Ben Franklin.
Those on the 90-minute walking tour can take a walk through colonial and
revolutionary Philadelphia with the man who knows the city just as well today
as he knew it 250 years ago. Tours will
visit the places where Ben Franklin made a name for himself as a printer,
inventor, and statesman, and hear about it firsthand with all the wit for which
Ben Franklin is famous. “A Walk with
Ben” costs $19.95 for adults and $7.95 for children over seven years
old. Reservations can be made online at http://www.AWALKWITHBEN.com, or by telephone at
877-558-9671. On the tour, visitors will
join Ben Franklin seeing the sights of historic Philadelphia, including the
Liberty Bell, colonial Christ Church, and Independence Hall, walking in the
footsteps of history and of Ben Franklin himself in the city where he gained
his greatest renown.
Earlier
this year, the young and witty Ben Franklin established himself as the new “go
to” Ben Franklin in the region, with appearances that included:
·
Serving as a special guest “ice cream scooper” alongside
former Pennsylvania Governor/former Philadelphia
Mayor Ed Rendell and other local celebrities during the Philadelphia Business Journal's special benefit for Habitat for
Humanity at Bassett’s Ice Cream Co. in the landmark Reading Terminal Market in
Center City Philadelphia. The young and
witty Ben Franklin, along with Governor Rendell and other local
celebrities, were on hand as "celebrity ice cream scoopers" at the
event (Thursday, May 17, 2012) celebrating the Philadelphia Business Journal's 30th Anniversary.
·
On
June 7th, the young and witty Ben
Franklin was the guest master of ceremonies at the Philadelphia Direct
Marketing Association’s Benjamin Franklin Award for
Direct Marketing Excellence at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ.
·
Entertained
Governor Rendell and over 200 guests at a reception for the North American
Southeast Asia Bar Association Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center
(June 28th).
·
Presented
the awards to the winning rowers at the 132nd Independence Day
Regatta (July 1, 2012).
·
Served as the tour guide for over a dozen International
representatives of RES Software on a bus tour of the region, starting at the
Philadelphia Art Museum and the “Rocky” statue and ending at the historic
Reading Terminal Market.
·
Presented the prestigious “Benny” trophy to the winning club
at the annual Philadelphia Youth Regatta, part of the Philadelphia Classic
Regatta Series on the historic Schuylkill River, on July 21st..
·
And
on July 25th, the young and
witty Ben Franklin delivered the
welcoming remarks and met the guests in attendance at the National Association
of Power Engineers Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
As
portrayed by DeVitis, the young and witty Ben
Franklin is not a staid and stuffy historical figure dusted off for bored
schoolchildren to pass along the way, more than the face on a $100 bill, Franklin is an engaging and thoughtful
figure who was not only a statesman but an inventor, a musician, a writer, a
printer, founder of the post office and the library. Franklin was
a multi-talented sensation of Philadelphia
The young and witty
Ben Franklin
can be found online, at http://www.BenFranklinToday.com, where he can be
invited (for a modest fee) to attend your special events, either in the City of
Philadelphia, or in areas surrounding William Penn’s Green Country Towne. The
young and witty Ben Franklin is a gifted raconteur who can speak to any and
all groups on topics including American history, Philadelphia history, and the
life that earned him the title “The First
American.”
The young and witty Ben
Franklin has
been visiting schools, social events, and business events around the Greater
Philadelphia region since October 2011.
Will your event be next?
For
additional information about the young
and witty Ben Franklin, including rates and availability, visit http://www.BenFranklinToday.com.
The young and witty
Ben Franklin
is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ben-Franklin-Today.