God Bless America Family Festival Draws Media Coverage
In these weeks following the 40th anniversary celebration of the Yankee Stadium Rally with True Mother in Tarrytown, New York, Korean mainstream weekly magazines and news agency articles have surfaced, sharing the news of this event while acknowledging the “miracle” of the original Yankee Stadium Rally, True Father’s message and challenge to America 40 years ago, and the importance of True Parents’ work today. Here are some excerpts from the Weekly Kyunghyang (June 21, 2016), Weekly Chosun (June 12, 2016) and Newsis (June 2016) translated into English:
“‘You Are My Sunshine’ Spreading Inspiration 40 Years Later”
We recently observed the FFWPU’s 40th anniversary celebration commemorating the Yankee Stadium Rally. The 50,000 people who gathered at Yankee Stadium in New York 40 years ago had also rallied behind the slogan, “God Bless America.”
According to the video, it was nearly a miracle that the event was even held. A rain storm began without any warning. The set was destroyed by the wind, and there was chaos. But just then, someone in the audience began to sing “You Are My Sunshine,” and soon, the single voice became a large chorus. This famous country song from the 1930s went like this: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” Their earnestness must have been felt because the rain stopped and sunlight poured in, filling the entire stadium. Rev. Sun Myung Moon stood on stage and said, “In God’s eyes, there are no Blacks, Whites or Asians.” The audience cheered with thunderous applause.
– Weekly Kyunghyang (June 21, 2016)
“‘You Are My Sunshine’ 40 Years Later”
Headed to Belvedere, FFWPU’s Holy Ground in New York
On June 1, 1976, 50,000 people filled the Yankee Stadium in New York. People flooded in from New York and other neighboring cities to hear Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who had come from Korea and founded the Family Federation for World Peace (FFWPU), give the keynote address. Rev. Sun Myung Moon delivered a challenging message to American society that day.
“If we do not fight the threat of Communism and raise up the morale of the youth in this nation, there will be no hope for America.”
“I came as a doctor and firefighter for America.”
40 years later, on June 5, 2016, the audience at Belvedere in Tarrytown, New York once again began to sing “You Are My Sunshine” at an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1976 Yankee Stadium Rally. A proclamation for a new vision for the future was also held here. Coincidentally, it also began to rain on this day, and everyone began to sing “You Are My Sunshine.”
The event was not only attended by FFWPU members. It transcended race, region, and faith.
The view of FFWPU from the stage was incredible. Rev. Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon’s homeland of Korea was especially important to the members in the audience. During the event, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon spoke in Korean, and simultaneous translation was provided in English.
– Weekly Chosun (June 12, 2016)
The Age of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon is in Full Swing; FFWPU and Downpour
The “God Bless America Festival” was held at 10 AM on the 5th (local time) at Belvedere in Tarrytown, New York, in commemoration of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon’s Yankee Stadium Rally in June, 1976. 3,000 of the attendants were reminded of the miracle 40 years earlier. Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who succeeded her husband, who ascended in 2012, resolved to bring about a successful “Four Years of Hope” course by 2020.
Belvedere is a 90,000-acre property that sits near the Hudson River, and is 40 minutes away from New York City. Meaning “beautiful landscape” in Italian, Belvedere is a picturesque Holy Ground atop a green meadow. Belvedere was purchased in 1972, and served as Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon’s former home and foothold of FFWPU’s American missionary movement.
People of all races and colors gathered from early in the morning. These families would have inspired Rev. Moon, who had exclaimed, “In God’s eyes, there is no Black, White or Yellow,” during the Yankee Stadium Rally. He had stated, “America is God’s hope and will,” as Americans who had been drifting in a world of Communism and youth and family issues turned to him for salvation. Rev. Moon came as a doctor and a firefighter.
In 1960, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, wife of Rev. Moon, explained, “America is the elder-son nation to the 200 other nations of the world. America’s mission is to guide all of its brothers and sisters to unite as one, and work to live well as one family. America cannot seek to live on its own and Americans must become the people they are meant to be. I hope that America can become a nation that mankind can be proud of.”
– Newsis (June 2016)