ABILENE, Kan. -  The "Ike Hike & Camporee" will be held the weekend of April 21 in Abilene. The event will focus on Eisenhower's boyhood years in Abilene. About 200 Boy Scouts from the Triconda District, encompassing five Kansas counties, are expected to participate.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, in partnership with the Coronado Area Boy Scout Council, has planned a day full of activities including tours, exhibits and hands-on activities. In addition to Library staff, partners who are conducting activities include Dickinson County Historical Society, Arts Council of Dickinson County, Greyhound Hall of Fame and Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. The sessions emphasize Ike's boyhood activities as well as his adult sports and leisure interests, including his fascination with the American West.

"This kick-off weekend is the first of what is expected to be an annual event," said Karl Weissenbach, Director, Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. "We are elated to have the scouts camping on our grounds and learning about Eisenhower's leadership and legacy," he added.

The scouts plan to hike from Brown Memorial Boy Scout Camp into Abilene via country roads, approximately seven miles. Should it rain, they will likely come in via Highway 15.

An evening campfire program with Dr. Jim Hoy, Emporia State University, will replicate a Western evening "around the campfire." Hoy will share the origins of the American cowboy and the trail drives, organized around the songs they sang as they came up the trail. The public is invited to attend the campfire program Saturday night at the Pylons on the east end of the Eisenhower campus scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Be sure to bring a lawn chair or blanket.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, a nonpartisan federal institution, is part of the Presidential Libraries network operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Presidential Libraries promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire.
 

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