The National Park Service will turn 96 on Saturday, August 25. Fort Sumter National Monument invites the public to celebrate through a sidewalk chalk coloring contest with the theme "Picture Yourself in the National Parks" from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center in downtown Charleston.
Participants will be divided into categories based on age from five to adult. Each participant will be given a 3' x 3' square and chalk will be provided. Those interested will need to register in advance by calling (843) 577-0242. Check-in will start at 8:30 a.m., judging at 11:00, and prizes awarded at 11:30.
The National Park Service was established Aug. 25, 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the act of Congress that charged the new agency "…to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."
The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center is located at 340 Concord Street in Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with boats departing to Fort Sumter at various times depending upon the season. The visitor center and museum exhibits inside are free. For more information call (843) 577-0242.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
