Officials in Pulaski County are making plans to celebrate Indiana’s 200th birthday. The Pulaski County Community Development Commission recently established the Pulaski County Bicentennial Committee. It will serve as a liaison to the Indiana State Bicentennial Commission.
Activities across Indiana in 2016 will celebrate 200 years of statehood with Legacy Projects, an Olympic-style torch relay across the state and other events.
The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay will start in September 2016 in Corydon, Indiana’s first state capital, and culminate with a celebration in October on the grounds of the statehouse in Indianapolis. A mobile visitor center will accompany the torch and will serve as an interactive museum highlighting important milestones during Indiana’s first 200 years. Torch bearers will be Hoosiers who have been nominated by their peers through the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay website. A map of the torch relay route (subject to modifications) can be found at www.indiana2016.com/torchrelay.
The torch is tentatively scheduled to pass through Pulaski County on Oct. 7, 2016. It will travel north from Cass County up U.S. 35 to the Starke/Pulaski County line. The Pulaski County Bicentennial Committee is making plans for the torch relay through the county. They tentatively include a canoe trip through the Winamac Town Park.
In addition to the relay, the Indiana Bicentennial Commission is looking for Legacy Projects surrounding the celebration. They are generated by community members and endorsed by the IBC on a quarterly basis. These projects strive to leave a lasting legacy in honor of Indiana’s Bicentennial. Legacy projects must be open and accessible to the public, fundable without IBC support, and achievable as a meaningful contribution to Indiana’s legacy.
Pulaski County residents or organizations interested in implementing an endorsed Legacy Project can contact Krysten Hinkle. Those interested in volunteering for the Torch Relay activities can sign up at the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay Website. For more information on criteria for Indiana Bicentennial Commission Legacy Projects or the Torch Relay, or if you are interested in serving as a volunteer for the Torch Relay, please visit www.Indiana2016.com or contact Krysten Hinkle at cdcasst@pulaskionline.org or 574-946-3869.
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