A Message from Judge Tommy Turner

Dear Community Leader:

As Lincoln’s birth state, Kentucky is leading the way in a two-year national commemoration that recognizes Lincoln’s ideals and legacy.  To help celebrate Lincoln’s 200th birthday on February 12, 2009, the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is providing project ideas and grant support for local governments and non-profit agencies to use for Lincoln-related programming.

As a community leader, we hope that you will join us in planning Lincoln-related activities for your city or county during the week of Lincoln’s 200th birthday, February 8-16, 2009. 

Enclosed in this toolkit are suggested activities as well as a variety of resources, including information about available grants to help fund your Lincoln events, that can help you implement your programs.   

As you know, Kentucky’s historic sites and organizations are excellent resources for our communities.  Lincoln 200th birthday is a wonderful opportunity to partner with these sites as part of a national celebration. While visitation to other states’ Lincoln sites has declined during the Bicentennnial, visitation to Kentucky’s Lincoln sites has climbed nearly twenty percent within the last year. We hope that these impressive statistics can be spread to other Kentucky communities that implement Lincoln programming. 

Please use the enclosed information to join us in commemorating the 200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln. 

Sincerely,

Judge Tommy Turner
LaRue County Judge Executive
Co-Chair, Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
www.kylincoln.org