When you hear the term “unsung hero,” what image comes to your mind?
Is it a parent, a friend, a teacher, a nurse, a police officer or a fireman? The list is almost endless of people who enrich our lives with little recognition.
Unsung heroes are all around us.
Today I want to introduce you to two men who could be described as the unsung heroes of America’s Freedom Festival At Provo’s Hope of America concerts. They’ve blessed many lives but I’m guessing you won’t recognize their names.
Before I share their names with you, let me tell you a bit about them and maybe you’ll figure out who I’m talking about before their names are revealed.
These two men have impacted the lives of your family members in profound ways over the last 30 years, particularly if you live in Utah County.
The work of these two men is on display annually in the largest arena in the Western United States and in other smaller venues across our great nation.
This talented duo play a key role in teaching the values of liberty and patriotism and allegiance to our country to thousands of young people.
They both love music and are gifted writers and performers. Originally, they were a team of three, but sadly, one of the team members departed too early.
These men love to teach and inspire young people to reach for greater heights.
Has a name come to your mind? If you’ve thought of someone, they must be an impactful person who has blessed you or a family member or friend.
Please meet Sam and Gary Francis. Their impact on the youth of Utah and other children around the world has been at the same time both unnoticed and profound.
Let me tell you more about Sam and Gary. They are a father-son team of composers and creators. Their inspiration for many years was the third member of their powerful team — their wife and mother, Betty.
Betty was a gifted pianist and vocalist. She died in 2020 and her smile and bubbly personality is greatly missed by family and friends. While you may not recognize the names of these people, it’s a good guess you have enjoyed the fruits of their labor and talent.
Each year, as part of the Freedom Festival in Provo, Hope of America concerts are held in the Marriott Center on the campus of Brigham Young University.
The original concert was held in 1996 and has grown each year. The performers in these concerts (now held on three consecutive nights) are many of your elementary school children. They sing songs about our great country as well as a song or two about our home state of Utah.
Many of these songs are written by Sam and Gary.
Gary also produces video accompaniment to many of the songs. Other talented songwriters, composers and organizers also play important roles in making these Hope of America concerts a reality.
The Hope of America experience is an inspiring and patriotic event. Half of the Marriott Center is filled with elementary school aged children and their teachers singing while the other half is filled with friends and families of the performers as well as people who simply want to be uplifted by the musical spectacle.
Various lessons are taught through song as powerful and patriotic lyrics fill the massive arena. Some songs include dancing. Others include hand actions. All include smiles, energy and beautiful rhythms and tunes.
One of the songs that is featured during the Hope of America program is entitled “Utah ... This Is The Place,” written by Sam and Gary. The song begins with these words, “Utah! People working together. Utah! What a great place to be.”
This song was adopted as the state song of Utah.
Over the last 30 years, it is estimated that over 250,000 children have performed in a Hope of America concert as part of the Freedom Festival.
Yes, Sam and Gary are unsung heroes, but their songs are not unsung — they have been sung by thousands of Utahns over the last three decades and will be sung by thousands more in the future.