Close to 7,000 students from 60 schools around Utah County kicked off the first event for Provo's Freedom festival with Tuesday night's Hope of America Student Showcase.

"You wouldn't think an elementary school thing would be this big, but it is. It gets packed," said Kathy Macdonald, the show's organizer.

Family and friends of the students began filing into the Marriott Center more than two hours before the show began, with children in red, white, blue and yellow filling almost an entire side. Macdonald said the show is a big event for the children, who have prepared their songs since January.

The children have patriotism instilled in them early, singing "We're the hope of America, where there's hope, there's America." Students from the Timpanogos Academy danced and sang "All Kinds of People," a song about the different heritages of the citizens of the country. Boys and girls in Russian, Mexican and Scottish outfits danced across the stage, and shirtless boys with spears and girls in hula skirts represented islander immigrants.

Macdonald said the children love performing in the event, and every fifth grader is given a chance to participate. The chorus is not handpicked from children who usually enjoy performing, and Macdonald said kids who would not have thought to volunteer end up enjoying being a part of the celebration.

Involvement in the festival helps to teach children citizenship and character, and Macdonald said she was approached by a woman who sang in it 12 years ago. The woman said the festival made a huge impact on how she feels about the country, and Macdonald said fifth-grade is the perfect time to teach patriotism to students.

"They're real innocent and real excited, and they like it," she said.

Not only does Hope of America impact students' lives, Macdonald said it can have a positive impact on the community. More and more citizens come to watch each year, and she said the songs represent a "can do" attitude for Americans.

"Adults are more conflicted over a lot of problems, and it kind of brings you back and makes you grateful for all the country has done for you," she said.

The annual Champion of Liberty award was also presented at the event, with Lt. Governor Gary Herbert and Kathy Smith as recipients. The two were chosen for their involvement with the state's Commission on Volunteers, as Utah has been first in the nation for volunteer hours for five years in a row.

Although Smith said she was grateful for the award, she said the high number of volunteer hours in the state is due to parents who instill good values in their children.

In it's thirteenth year, Hope of America has become something of a tradition within the valley. All schools are invited to participate, and many teachers return year after year with their students.

Coordinating several thousand children seems like a Herculean task, and Macdonald said teachers volunteer their time to help the children prepare. Each teacher is given a packet of materials, and students have a CD of the songs to listen and practice to each day. The entire group of students does not practice together until soon before the event, so Macdonald said the teachers who volunteer their time and students have a big impact on how the show turns out.

"If it wasn't for teachers giving their personal time, we couldn't do it," she said.