The Bicentennial for Vevay Switzerland Indiana is in 2013 and a weeklong celebration is in the planning stages.
The celebration will take place October 4th-13th, with Pre-Bicentennial activities throughout the year. Everyone is invited to become involved by volunteering for one of the bicentennial committees.
What’s your interest? Talk to the Committee Chairman of the topic that interests you:
– Andréa Kappes, River and Events at the Park: (513) 520-8185;
– Shannon Phipps, Arts and Education: 427-3363;
– Donna Weaver, History and Genealogy: (812) 593-5726;
– Greg Curlin, Business and Agriculture: 427-2578;
– Pat Lanman, Grand Finale: 427-2311.
If you are not sure where you would like to donate your time, give Jennifer Scudder (427-3434) or Wilma Swango (427-2673) a call and they will help you.
It is the hope of the volunteers working on this celebration to make many of the events free or at a very low cost to everyone who attends. Some of the events that are in the works are: reviving the (Swiss) Bicentennial Belles and Brothers of the Brush from the sesquicentennial; a local play (The Stripping Room) at the Hoosier Theater; a 1917 Chautauqua and tea on the lawn of the Historical Society Museum; “Why They Came” Presentation; Patchwork of History; Rural Heritage Tour; activities at the YMCA for kids; One Book One Community; The River Institute’s Photography Booth; many events at the Ogle Park; and a Grand Finale on October 13th to wrap up the celebration.
There are many other festivities to be announced in the near future.
Volunteers are excited to kick off fund raising for the celebration by inviting the first 200 gifts of $200 to the 200 year celebration to become members of the Founding Campaign. These $200 gifts can be from individuals, families, businesses or organizations.
Even more exciting is that the Paul Ogle Foundation has awarded a grant to the 2013 Bicentennial to match $1 for $1 the $200 gifts to the Founding Funders Campaign up to $40,000. To allow for all donations to the Bicentennial to be tax deductible, the Community Foundation of Switzerland County has created a pass through Bicentennial 2013 Fund and will handle all the financial aspects for the Bicentennial Committee.
You may mail your check to CFSCI, PO Box 46, Vevay, Indiana, 47043; drop it off at the Community Foundation office at 303 Ferry Street in Vevay; or go to the Community Foundation’s website, www.cfsci.org to make a donation through Paypal.
If you have any question on how to make a donation, please call Pam Acton at 427-9160.
Any organization planning activities to celebrate the bicentennial please share it with us. If you would like to use the official Bicentennial 2013 logo, please contact Jennifer Scudder to acquire permission and receive a copy of the copyrighted logo.