"Freedom" may be just another word for nothing left to lose, according to the Janis Joplin tune "Me and Bobby McGee." But Freedom is also the Beaver County town selected as the launch pad for a national campaign aimed at uniting the country -- if only for 15 minutes.

The Freedom Group of America, a nonprofit organization composed of five businessmen, wants everyone in the United States to wave a Uniting Towel next July 4.

Monday, professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan will be in Freedom kicking off the National Wave Campaign, which hopes to get folks across the country waving a special "uniting" towel next July 4. In addition to Mr. Hogan's appearance, the Labor Day event will include among other things, a battle of the bands competition and a performance by Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, all capped off by Zambelli fireworks.

The campaign is the creation of The Freedom Group of America, a nonprofit organization composed of businessmen Bruce Johnson, John Maielli, Sean Chumura, Vern Fowler and Tony Rich from Beaver County and elsewhere.

Mr. Maielli said the country seems so divided over the Iraq, political ideology, etc., that he and Mr. Johnson wanted to do something to bridge the divide.

"Some people are for the war, some are against the war, everybody seemed to be on opposite sides of the fence," Mr. Maielli said. "We thought this might be a way, for at least 15 minutes on July 4, 2008, for everybody to be Americans. We're all Americans when you come down to it," he said.

They plan to invite celebrities who hold opposing points of view, Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump, for example, to put aside their differences to help promote the National Wave.

The group has designed "The Official Uniting Towel of America" which will be sold for $5, with proceeds going to the charities of participating celebrities and Freedom Group of America.

The towel will be manufactured by McArthur Towel & Sorts of Baraboo, Wis., which makes "The Terrible Towel," Mr. Maielli said.

He and Mr. Johnson had done some promotional things with towels for high school and college athletic teams but had always wanted to do something else, he said.

"We were driving through Freedom, Pa., and it just came to us, this is what we need to do. It was just ironic that we were going through Freedom," he said.

The businessmen received a warm reception when they approached the borough about being "considered the birthplace of the National Wave," Mr. Maielli said.

"Well, I think it's something that will be great for the town from the standpoint of where we are," said Freedom Mayor Donald Zahn. "The town's people are looking forward to it very much ... It's a big event for Freedom."

Mr. Maielli said 10,000 people on Monday are expected to converge on Freedom, which has a population of about 1,700. Mr. Maielli said the attendance estimate is based on the number of calls the Freedom of America Group and the mayor's office have been getting.

"There's a guy who came from Ohio to Freedom because he wanted to know where Freedom was because he's bringing his kids [to the event]," Mr. Maielli said.

The event covers a roped off area of five or six blocks along Freedom's main street, Third Avenue. Admission is $10 for adults and free for children under 12 and includes a towel designed especially for the launch event.

Hogan was among a wish list of celebrities the Freedom Group thought would be a good fit for the campaign. Organizers said they've been assured he is still coming even though his son, Nick, was involved in a terrible car accident last weekend, which left a passenger hospitalized in serious condition.

The kickoff of the National Wave Campaign will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Third Avenue in Freedom. For more information, call John Maielli 724-333-5347.