*** WVU to pay tribute to coal miners with Miner's Day event

MORGANTOWN -– West Virginia University will pay tribute to coal miners with a Miner's Day program to be held on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. in the Mountainlair Blue Ballroom.

The program will feature the documentary "The Monongah Heroine" by Gina Martino Dahlia, chairperson of the Television Journalism Program at WVU. The film focuses on the widows left behind from the Dec. 6, 1907, Monongah mine disaster -– still dubbed the worst disaster in American history.

"The Monongah Heroine" has won several awards, including the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts Award, a MarCom Award, an Ava Award, a Telly award and a Silver Communicator Award for documentary filmmaking. In 2008, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin presented Dahlia with the "Distinguished Mountaineer" award for excellence in contribution to her students, state and community.

The program will be hosted by Mountainlair programming intern Kasey Hott, "ABC News On Campus Roving Reporter of the Year" and WVU's 2009 Mountaineer Idol winner. Following the film, Hott will entertain the audience with a couple of songs honoring miners.

At the conclusion of the program, five audience members will receive copies of the documentary through a random drawing. The WVU Press will be showcasing and selling "Monongah: The Tragic Story of the 1907 Monongah Mine Disaster, the Worst Industrial Accident in U.S. History" by West Virginia native Davitt McAteer.

The event is planned by the WVU Office of Student Affairs. For questions, please e-mail Sonja.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu or call the Mountainlair Administrative Offices at 304-293-2702.