Passing the Baton: Connecting Communities Across America
From the Golden Gate Bridge on July Fourth to the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware on Thanksgiving, the American Discovery 250 Relay is making its way across the country one community at a time.
At the center of the journey is a baton carrying a copy of the Declaration of Independence. As it travels from coast to coast, the relay is designed to connect people and communities along the American Discovery Trail and celebrate the people and places that make up the country.
On Monday, September 21, the relay made its way across Kansas, traveling from McPherson to Council Grove. We caught part of the journey as two previous Ask A Kansan guests helped bring the relay through the state.
Jeri Brungardt with Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond helped organize participants who walked or rode their bikes for all or part of Monday's journey. Together, participants carried the baton east towards Maxwell, where other Kansans would pick up the journey before the relay eventually leaves the state and continues into Missouri.
At Maxwell Wildlife Refuge in rural McPherson County, Trisha Smith helped host relay participants as they made their way through the refuge. Participants were able to stop for snacks and water while taking in the views of the refuge.
While the relay is crossing the country to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the trail itself is not new. The American Discovery Trail has been established for more than 30 years and stretches approximately 6,800 miles from coast to coast, crossing 15 states and a wide variety of ecosystems.
The trail splits into northern and southern routes at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado before rejoining in Indiana. Kansas is part of the southern route, which travels approximately 575 miles across the state.
For the people taking part in the relay, however, the journey is about more than covering the miles. Each person carries the baton for a small portion of a much larger journey, connecting communities along the way as it makes its way across the country.
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