The City of Pasadena and Allegra Win Two Prestigious Awards for Amplify| Voices of People and Families Displaced by Freeway Construction in Pasadena Documentary

PASADENA, Calif. - The City of Pasadena and Allegra Consulting Inc. were honored with two prestigious accolades for the documentary Amplify | Voices of People and Families Displaced by Freeway Construction in Pasadena, California. The film earned a Gold MarCom Award and a 2025 Davey Award, recognizing its excellence in marketing, communications, and impactful storytelling.

The 38-minute documentary, produced for the City of Pasadena, amplifies the voices of residents and families uprooted by the construction of the SR-710 and I-210 Freeways during the 1960s and 70s. Featuring 32 oral histories interwoven with archival photos and footage, the film highlights historic community treasures lost in the freeway construction including First African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Japanese Union Presbyterian Church, Green Buck Restaurant, Garfield School and Valley Barber Shop. The film celebrates community resilience in the face of displacement.

Two beautiful trophies were presented to the Pasadena City Council and the 710 Advisory Group, symbolizing this shared honor and reflecting everyone's role in supporting and advancing the project.

"This impactful film did a phenomenal job of bringing history to life. The historical record quantifies the number of buildings and institutions destroyed, but hearing the pain from those who lost their homes and community helps paint a full picture of how Pasadena was devastated by freeway construction", said Assistant City Manager, Brenda Harvey-Williams.

"Amplify is about truth-telling," said Suzanne Madison, CEO of Allegra Consulting. "It preserves the lived experiences of Pasadena residents whose voices might otherwise have been lost, and we're grateful to Mayon Denton of MD Productions and his team for helping us bring these powerful stories to life." To view the film, please visit bit.ly/AmplifyFilm, or for more information about the Reconnecting Pasadena project, please visit bit.ly/RpmpStoryMap.