South Dakota's cities, counties will be asked to join America 250 celebration
Group tasked with honoring U.S. semiquincentennial hatches plans for year-long festivities
When America turns 250 years old in 2026, expect the state of South Dakota to lean all the way into the celebration. And the hope is that cities and counties that make up the Mount Rushmore State will get on board too.
That’s the takeaway after a meeting of the “America 250th South Dakota Commission,” created last year by Gov. Kristi Noem, part of a nationwide effort to honor and celebrate the United States’ semiquincentennial.
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The 18-member committee made up of state lawmakers, members of the governor’s cabinet and of the public, has drafted what’s being called the “America 250” commemorative resolution that city and county boards can adopt to join in the celebration. And during a meeting of the committee Wednesday in Pierre, members discussed ways to incentivize governments that do.
“I would expect this summer that we will start contacting cities, counties, municipalities, with draft language for them to consider,” committee member and South Dakota State Historical Society Director Ben Jones said.
Creating general awareness about the semiquincentennial among the public is also an objective of the America 250th South Dakota Commission, which is considering a 250-mile walk challenge. And that could be parlayed into exposure for the state trail system.
“Trails are the number one activity that we have within our parks when it comes to day usage, beyond camping,” Game, Fish and Parks Department spokesman Nick Harrington said. “This could be a way throughout the year to get folks out, log those miles, there are plenty of ways to track it (too).”
It also could prove to be a way to bring more people to the state’s most famous attraction. Jones said that Mount Rushmore could be one of the sites highlighted during a national “field trip” for students who win an essay contest.
Themes for South Dakota’s America 250 celebration are still being considered as well, with “Connecting to the Declaration,” “Preserving Local History” and “Continuing American Revolution” in the running. Though multiple themes are being proposed, it’s possible that more than one is selected.
The next meeting of the commission will be in June.
The America 250th South Dakota Commission is part of a nationwide celebratory effort called America 250, headed up by a national commission established by Congress in 2016.
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