INDIANAPOLIS – Lt. Governor Eric J. Holcomb, Indiana Office of Tourism Development executive director Mark Newman and the Kosciusko County Torch Relay Committee Wednesday released the route that the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay will follow through Kosciusko County this fall.
The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay will be a 3,200-mile journey with nearly 2,000 torchbearers from each of Indiana’s 92 counties participating. Starting in Corydon Sept. 9, the route showcases locations of natural beauty, local interest and historic significance to the state, according to a provided press release.
“The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay is not only the premier event of our state’s Bicentennial Celebration, but it is also an opportunity for Hoosiers from counties large and small to showcase all that makes Indiana unique,” said Holcomb. “The torch route was designed to highlight the state’s cultural fabric, our history and values, and the spirit of Hoosier ingenuity, igniting generations to come.”
The torch will be in Kosciusko County Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A celebration is scheduled in Central Park, Warsaw, during the relay and another one in Syracuse as the torch moves on to Noble County. The local committee hopes to involve fourth-graders from throughout the county in this special event.
“We are excited to be able to release the torch route and share with county residents the work that has been going on for over a year. We were able to get the state’s original route modified to include the lakes area of North Webster and Syracuse, which we felt was important because that is such a popular part of our county,” Diane Wulliman, county coordinator, said.
Plans for the final details of the torch relay are ongoing as well as the plans for the county’s three-day festival to celebrate the Indiana Bicentennial.
The torch relay route was charted by a taskforce of representatives from multiple state agencies and the private sector; including the departments of transportation, natural resources, state police, tourism, community and rural affairs and archives. Local organizing committees in each county finalized their county-specific routes. While the route is considered final, it is subject to slight alterations as conditions on the ground during the relay may warrant. A map of the statewide torch relay route can be found at www.Indiana2016.org/torchrelay.
The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay will start Sept. 9 in Corydon, Indiana’s first state capitol, and culminate with a celebration Oct. 15 on the grounds of the statehouse in Indianapolis.
Accompanying the torch will be a high-tech mobile experience – an interactive museum that highlights important milestones during Indiana’s first 200 years and looks ahead to what the state’s future. Indiana State Police personnel will provide logistical support and escort the torch caravan over the course of the relay.
“As we reflect on Indiana’s first 200 years, the torch relay is a terrific opportunity to showcase the beauty and allure of Indiana. From the Lake Michigan shoreline to the rolling hills along the Ohio River, Indiana is full of special people and places. The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay allows us to show off both our state and civic pride as we honor our past while symbolically ‘passing the torch’ to future generations of Hoosiers,” said Newman.
Developed by IOTD, the relay is patterned after the Olympic Torch Relay and is designed to connect Hoosiers across the state and nation with their home state during the bicentennial year, the release states. The torch itself was designed by engineering faculty and students at Purdue University. The torch will be primarily transported by people, passing the flame from torch bearer to torch bearer. The relay will also employ other modes of conveyance that are symbolic of the history and heritage of Indiana, including watercraft, farm equipment, a racecar, horse and wagon, antique automobile and others.
Kosciusko County received 70 nominations for torchbearers. Those were vetted by the local torch relay coordinating committee who then selected 22 (number allowed by state) nominations to be local torch bearers. Those 22 nominations are currently being reviewed by the state committee. Torchbearers will be Hoosiers who demonstrate exceptional public service, excellence in their profession, acts of heroism or volunteer service to their neighborhood, community, region or state. Statewide, over 4,000 torchbearer nominations were received.
To follow the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay on social media, visit INTorchRelay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
