By Cole Lauterbach/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Community involvement is one of the most important aspects of the Illinois Bicentennial, and to help celebrate the state’s 200th birthday, Gov. Bruce Rauner has come up with a unique way for high school and college students to be involved in making history.
“Something to Learn About Illinois History” is a video contest for Illinois college and high school students. To enter, contestants must go online to Illinois200.com and upload a 45- to 60-second self-made video about a person, fact, event or place in Illinois history, according to Stuart Layne, executive director of the Illinois Bicentennial Commission.
One hundred winners will receive tickets to Hamilton in Chicago on Dec. 3, the first day of the bicentennial celebration.
Many important historical facts about Illinois are not well-known, according to Layne, and he sees this contest as an opportunity to educate the masses about how far Illinois has come.
Layne said a craft beer competition will take place at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield as another community project leading up to the bicentennial.
“Fifteen Illinois craft brewers will sample their products, and consumers will vote on the best craft brewer, and that winner will produce an Illinois Bicentennial craft beer for the celebration next year,” Layne said.
Layne said it will be easy for communities across the state to host bicentennial events.
“We will have a mechanism on our website Illinois200.com where local communities and organizations can apply to be an official, endorsed bicentennial event,” Layne said.
Illinois became a state on Dec. 3, 1818. The Illinois bicentennial celebration will consist of a series of events starting on Dec. 3 of this year and ending one year later.
