Wednesday, Jan 2, 2008
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, located in Hodgenville, Kentucky, will host the kick-off event for Lincoln’s bicentennial birthday celebration on February 8th. President George W. Bush has been invited to deliver the keynote address formally launching the nation’s two-year celebration of Lincoln’s life and legacy.
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Director Mary Bomar, and newly inaugurated Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear are among the other distinguished speakers invited for the event. Sam Waterston, best-known for his television role as an attorney on “Law and Order,” will deliver a dramatic presentation of Lincoln's words. The outdoor ceremony is free and open to the public.
Hundreds of special programs, activities, and events will take place throughout the nation from February 12, 2008 to February 12, 2010 to commemorate the 200th birthday of our sixteenth president. Five NPS sites are directly related to Lincoln, and seven more have secondary links to him. More than 100 additional NPS sites have indirect ties to Lincoln’s work.
The Service’s Eastern incident management team, headed by Zeph Cunningham, is assisting park personnel with the planning and execution of the event. The IMT was in Hodgenville in late December to work on preparations. IMT responsibilities include managing crowds and providing traffic control, law enforcement, site security, dignitary management and security, emergency response, and media access and information.
For more information on the event, visit www.nps.gov/abli
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