At a ceremony tonight in the Russell Caucus Room, the United States Capitol Historical Society will present its 2004 Freedom Award to Robert Remini, a distinguished visiting scholar of American history at the Library of Congress and professor emeritus of history and the humanities at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Remini is being honored for his lifelong work in historical scholarship and his current efforts in writing a narrative history of the House of Representatives.

The U.S. Capitol Historical Society has presented the Freedom Award — named for the statue that sits atop the Capitol Dome — each year since 1993. Past recipients include C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb, the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, and slain Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson, who received their awards posthumously.

National Gallery’s Ice Rink Now Open

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden ice skating rink is officially open for business.

Last season, the outdoor rink attracted more than 40,000 visitors from mid-November to mid-March. The rink is open weather permitting and offers visitors unique views of the garden and its contemporary sculptures.

The rink entertains visitors with its musical system, which features 24 speakers on the light poles surrounding the rink that provide sound to the skaters without disturbing those visiting the Sculpture Garden.

In its sixth year of operation, the rink will be open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The skate rental fee is $3 and an ID is required as a deposit. Two-hour skating sessions begin on the hour and cost $7 for adults and $6 for seniors, children and students with ID.

Discounts on admission and fees are available for groups of 10 or more, and season tickets are available for $195. More information is available by calling (202) 289-3360 or online at www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.htm.

Help the Homeless Walk To Take Place Saturday

Thousands of Washington area residents are expected to head to the National Mall on Saturday to participate in the 17th annual Help the Homeless Walkathon.

The walk is part of the Help the Homeless Program, a year-round effort that culminates in the annual 5K walk held to raise awareness of and money for the 180 Washington area organizations devoted to ending homelessness.

According to Help the Homeless, approximately 14,000 people in the Washington area are homeless on any given day. That number includes people staying in shelters or with friends and family, those living on the streets as well as those in transitional or permanent supportive housing. More than half of the area’s homeless are families, and more than a third are children, according to the program.

This year’s walk is sponsored by the Fannie Mae Foundation and will feature Help the Homeless’ honorary chairman, Cal Ripken Jr.

Registration for the walk will begin at 7 a.m. at Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest. The registration fee is $25 for adults and $15 for those 25 and younger. The walk will begin at 9 a.m.

For more information on the walk or the Help the Homeless Program, visit www.helpthehomelessdc.org.

— John McArdle, Jennifer Lash and Amy Carlile