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Declaration of Independence replica passes through La Salle on cross-country relay for America’s 250th · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Declaration of Independence replica passes through LaSalle on cross country relay for
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  America's 250th. Written by Emily Beebe This article is being
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  read by an automated voice, brought to you by Everlet. The American
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  Discovery 250 Relay carried a copy of the Declaration of Independence through
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  LaSalle and Ottawa on Friday’s
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  as part of a nationwide relay celebrating the 250th anniversary of the
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  United States. Volunteers transported the document across 6,800 miles from California
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  to Delaware only on foot or bike with no motors whatsoever. Batten
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  carriers sign up to carry it across segments of the route, passing
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  it from person to person at each stop. Friday's leg began in
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  Spring Valley at the Spring Valley Veterans Memorial Park, located at 212
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  North Greenwood Street, Jeff Town of Ottawa, carried the baton roughly eight
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  miles by bike into La Salle, arriving at the I and M
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  Canal Visitor Center located at 754. 1St Street around 10 AM. The
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  baton was passed And carried by new people who departed toward Utica
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  around 1030 AM. Towns saw the relay on a bicycling app and
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  signed up. He said being able to carry the document was wonderful.
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  For town, including the INM canal in the route for this relay
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  added extra meaning. Including the I and M Canal, it means so
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  much to this area, he said, and it will be a part
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  of this path going through Illinois. After LaSalle, baton carriers handed it
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  off and continued east through Utica, Buffalo Rock, and Ottawa, where it
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  is expected to conclude at Fox River Park, located at 717 Hudson
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  Street in Ottawa. At each stop the baton is passed person to
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  person along a line of carriers before the next segment begins. Sarah
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  Heitman, ground coordinator for the Northern Route, said the American Discovery Trail
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  was established about thirty five years ago to connect existing trails. The
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  route going through small towns was deliberate. It's not a direct route
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  whatsoever, she said. The wanted it to go through small towns, big
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  cities, kinda get a taste of America. She said the communities along
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  the way have embraced it. We just went through some pretty small
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  towns in Iowa, she said. They're just excited to have visitors, and
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  they're very supportive and enthusiastic about the event the batan will continue
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  to travel throughout the country with they relay ending in Delaware and
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  is expected to get there on Thanksgiving. Heitman explained the role the
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  community has played in this event. Whether we have one person or
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  we have twenty people, everyone has been a part of getting the
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  batons across the country, Heitman said. Town, who will help carry the
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  baton to Fox River Park, hopes people view this event the same
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  way. What an accomplishment it was for everybody across the country that
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  participated, whether they were actually walking, biking, or just part of the
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  celebration, Towns said.