Gary Brackett visits Holiday World

Even though the sky is cloudy today, Gary Brackett is brightening the day of children from 15 special families at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. Indianapolis Colts Defensive Captain, Gary Brackett, brought several families from all over the state to the Park in Santa Claus, Indiana, as part of "Gary Brackett's IMPACT Foundation."

I lined up with the rest of the crowd to meet Brackett and got a personalized autographed picture – I always love meeting new people :) ! I was able to capture a short video of Brackett at Holiday World to share with everyone. While I sat down for just a short few minutes, I made sure that Brackett was going to enjoy the Park for the rest of the day (after all of the interviews, of course) - and he's looking forward to it!



For more information about "Gary Brackett's IMPACT Foundation," visit www.garybrackett.org.

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LINCOLN - Indiana's American Story

I had the opportunity to see opening night at Lincoln Amhpitheatre... and it was spectacular! LINCOLN: Upon the Altar of Freedom, debuted its second season last night with new enhancements from the premiere season in 2009.

The night air was hot and humid but the enthusiasm that spread among the cast, crew, and audience made up for the summer stickiness! One of my favorite parts of the evening was before the show even began... the characters mingled with the crowd, demonstrating skills and childen's games from the Lincoln era.

John Wilkes Booth and a soldier began an argument before we took our seats and an ensemble of characters entertained us with a cappella songs that Lincoln would have listened to many years ago.

LINCOLN, the play by Ken Jones, brings the audience into the mind of Lincoln and throughout his time in Indiana. It was during Lincoln’s 14 years in this area that he developed a thirst for knowledge and reading. In addition, Lincoln lost two important women during this time: his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, and his sister, Sara Lincoln. The formative years Lincoln spent in Indiana helped developed the character of our beloved 16th president.

If you love Lincoln history or theatre in general, make sure to bring your family to this beautiful outdoor venue and experience LINCOLN this summer! Learn more about Lincoln and sites dedicated to his life in Indiana at www.LegendaryPlaces.org

(I've put together a short clip of the pre-show activities for you to view :) Enjoy!)

Remembering tourism leader Will Koch

The town of Santa Claus and surrounding community have lost a wonderful man. The death of Will Koch was announced earlier this week to the shock of all who knew him.

Will Koch was many great things to so many people. In addition to leading Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari into a rising success for the past 20 years, Will was an advocate for the whole community. A true believer in the area and what it has to offer travelers, Will always supported the Lincoln history and magical spirit of Christmas.

As president of the Lincoln Boyhood Drama Association, Will played an integral role to bring the Lincoln Amphitheatre to life in 2009. Will was a Lincoln enthusiast and very involved in educating the public on Lincoln’s history in Spencer County. The 2010 season of LINCOLN will be dedicated to the legacy of Will Koch.

During the infancy of the Spencer County Tourism Commission, Will Koch donated office space for the Visitors Bureau from 1998 – 2007 in order to help the local tourism industry grow.  Furthermore, Will was instrumental in the Highway 231 coalition. He helped the process of getting the road rebuilt in Spencer County and into Dubois County.  Will was also an activist in linking our area to the new I-69 near Crane.

Earlier this year, Will participated in the strategic visioning sessions for tourism in Spencer County. Will was more than just a supporter of the tourism industry, his vision helped create the destination we have to offer families today.

Family Fun extends from Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari into the community and county-wide attractions because of the initiative from Will Koch.