The Lebanon County Committee of America250 made two funding requests of County Commissioners at a workshop on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
America250 is a national celebration of the country’s 250th birthday and will have localized events in every Pennsylvania county to commemorate the auspicious occasion. The celebration is especially important in Pennsylvania given the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. The commonwealth’s commemoration is titled America250PA and has the tourist theme of “Start here, America Did!” according to the state’s website for the event.
Five representatives of the county committee, including chairwoman Josie Ames, asked commissioners for $10,000 to pay invoices associated with the event through the end of 2024.
The second request is to fund the initiative from Jan. 1 until the event on July 4, 2026, the day of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Two requests were made since the county is already two-thirds through fiscal year 2024, as stated by county administrator Jamie Wolgemuth, who also reminded commissioners that funds can still be allocated to pay existing and future invoices through the end of this year.
He said discussions for the 2025 county budget should commence in the near future.
Commissioners did not take action on either funding request on Wednesday since it was a workshop session, but commission chairman Robert Phillips told LebTown those funding requests should be on the agenda of their next regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5.
County commissioners meet in room 207 of the county municipal building at 9:30 a.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month.
Concerning funding, Phillips was on the same page as committee members, saying that he had in mind $10,000 through the end of the year. He asked that if costs were to exceed that amount that those potential expenditures should be cleared first with commissioners before being made.
Phillips further noted it was unacceptable that committee members had out-of-pocket expenses in building the county program. It was stated that itemized expenditures for those out-of-pocket costs should be submitted to the county for reimbursement.
Committee members have incurred hundreds of dollars in expenses for the creation of promotional items, including flags, coasters and T-shirts, and travel expenses to planning sessions for the event.
“We don’t want the issue of you putting out your money and then trying to get reimbursed for it,” said Phillips.
Jen Kuzo, president of Visit Lebanon Valley and a committee member, said her board approved $45,000 over three years to market Lebanon County as a destination for the county’s celebration. Visit Lebanon Valley is the county’s tourism agency.
Committee members said they’ve had an information table at the Mount Gretna Outdoor Arts Show and during Community Night at the Lebanon Area Fair. Members said it became apparent that few local residents realized the nation’s semiquincentennial takes place in less than two years or what America250 is about.
“During Community Night at the expo (center) at the fair, a lot of people were coming up to our table and had no clue what America250 is,” said Ames, who also said the committee realized it needed a mission statement. “We were trying to get them interested in what’s happening in 2026.”
Kuzo expounded upon that thought.
“Some other things we realized that came from Community Night is that we really need to educate the people in the community, the public, for what will be coming up for the celebration in the United States,” said Kuzo, who said the group will begin to issue press releases to radio stations, new agencies and others to let community members know the committee’s action between now and July 4, 2026.
Committee member Tom Newmaster said the group has created a Facebook page and will have a website built to keep the local community informed as plans move forward. Administrative costs will be funded by the county while Visit Lebanon Valley will cover tourism marketing expenses.
Another public relations effort being floated is a promotional float at any future parade in Lebanon County until the day of the big event. That effort would ideally begin at the holiday parade this November.
Beyond marketing, the committee has conducted brainstorming sessions that have led to some concrete ideas. Additionally, state officials are asking counties to create, at their own cost, a replica of the Liberty Bell, which Newmaster told LebTown after the meeting is a very expensive request.
Newmaster said the committee had looked at a fiberglass version that would cost $10,000. The committee hopes to cover that cost via sponsorships they would raise. “But until we get those monies, it is an unknown quantity (expense),” added Newmaster.
The committee has explored creating a county-specific historic mosaic, for which the artist has quoted a price of $20,000. Other possible ideas would include an expanded fireworks display and a community-wide picnic at a large venue like the Lebanon County Exposition Center and Fairgrounds on July 4, 2026.
These are currently only ideas that have been discussed so far. The committee has received two pages worth of suggestions from its Facebook followers.
All events will require funding, and discussion at the workshop focused on where to deposit collected donations, sponsorships and other monies that are gathered. Wogelmuth said large donations might be funneled through the county’s treasurer’s office via written checks, but said it’s not equipped to handle smaller cash sums that could come from tip jars and other sources.
Kuzo noted that the idea of asking local residents to contribute $20.26 has been discussed. She was asked if it was possible for the tourist agency to collect funds, but that is also problematic because her agency does not collect any funds for its programs.
After the meeting, Kuzo told LebTown that having a jar to collect smaller funds gives local residents, or a child that might put in some coins, a sense of ownership in an event like this one.
“It (the PA250 money) has to go somewhere that’s safe and clean,” Kuzo told commissioners. “Libations Trail is free and Java Journey is $10, but that goes directly to the coffee shops. Lebanon Lilly book funds are paid through cash and that money goes directly to the libraries.”
Commissioner Mike Kuhn suggested the committee follow what a local nonprofit did while looking to refurbish a Civil War statute in a Fredericksburg cemetery. That group, he said, has its fundraising dollars funneled for deposit at a local bank.
Read More: 140-year-old sentry statue to be renovated during restoration project
During the workshop, committee members provided other updates to commissioners.
Ames said the group created a mission statement that reads: “Our Mission is to bring together the people of Lebanon County in commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary by honoring the Lebanon Valley’s history and instilling pride in our county, our state and our country.”
Kuhn suggested that the group should include the anniversary date of July 4, 2026, within their mission statement to emphasize the celebration date.
The group also wants to involve nonprofit groups in the planning.
“We’re also trying to involve a lot of nonprofits, including the Kiwanis, Lions Club, and the Rotary to help spread the word,” said Ames. “We want to get more committee representatives beyond the five current individuals. We need more people if we plan to do what we want to do.”
Ames said the committee is in discussions with Pat Kerwin, executive director of Lebanon Valley Expo Center, on how to involve that location in the celebration. The committee also met last week with Lebanon city Mayor Sherry Capello, who said the city would like to be involved and that the committee will have support once she gets city council’s approval.
Kuzo presented an update on tourism-related brainstorming.
A video with the theme of Lebanon Valley Proud is in the final stages of production with one more day of visiting various sites to film county assets. Kuzo stated the videographer will then edit and the plan is to have the video realized in “a month or so.”
Another discussion item has been how to involve tourism in celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Some ideas focus on current tourism initiatives and there is a plan to have events that encourage children to learn about the county’s rich heritage.
One theme might be “Red, White and Moo” to highlight Lebanon Lilly, the tourism agency’s mascot. Other thoughts have included “Red, White and Do,” “Red, White and View,” and “Red, White and Chew” that might have our nation’s colors represented on cupcakes.
Kuzo reminded commissioners that she had sent them an update of what they were working on and what they planned to do in the future, adding that her board of directors was onboard to commit funds for it to market the celebration.
During discussion about potential events, Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz suggested a “barnstorming” tour of local historic barns given the county’s agricultural heritage, adding that “our barns have a story to tell of their own.”
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