First lady to host luncheon next week at Freedom Tower

First lady Michelle Obama will visit Miami next week to be the featured speaker at a luncheon at the historic Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. Tickets for the $250-a-plate Florida Campus Compact 2009 Awards Gala and Luncheon on Oct. 15 are by invitation only and space is strictly limited. The event is sponsored by Miami Dade College, which owns the tower. MDC President Eduardo Padron will host the event. Co-hosting are Florida's two U.S. senators, Bill Nelson and George LeMieux and U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, D-North Florida. The event marks the first time a first lady has visited the tower on Biscayne Boulevard, one of Miami's most iconic structures. Built in 1925 as the home of the area's first newspaper, in became a beacon for Cuban refugees who were processed starting in the early 1960s. In recent years, the tower has undergone a makeover by the college. A large wall mural on the first floor has been restored and a golden dome atop the tower has been removed and is undergoing repairs. (MH)