By Tim Arnett
WABASH,Indiana – The Wabash County Bicentennial Torch Committee released the list of fifteen confirmed torchbearers on Wednesday for the 2016 Bicentennial torch relay in Wabash County. Each one of the 15 people named will have a chance to carry the torch for three or four blocks in the city of Wabash and in the town of North Manchester on Wednesday, September 28th starting around 4 pm.
The public submitted around 40 names earlier in the year and the local Wabash County Bicentennial Committee selected 20 to be sent down to Indy for conformation. The state made sure the individuals lived and worked in the county, were available on the date of the torch relay and weren’t carrying the torch in another county. Out of the 15, there was even one posthumous nomination: Chris Garber. Garber’s family nominated him despite his passing in December of last year and a member of his family will run in his honor in the town of North Manchester.
The 15 individuals in Wabash County are required to attend a torch relay training session to learn handling safety and logistics. Mitch Figert, Wabash County Bicentennial Coordinator, said that those nominated who did not make the final 15 will still be involved in that they will ride on Trolley No. 85 which will take the torch from LaFontaine to Wabash, from Wabash to North Manchester and from North Manchester back to Wabash.
When the torch-carrying trolley arrives in Wabash that Wednesday around 4 pm, it will stop at the Visit Wabash County office where torchbearers will then take it O.J. Neighbours before once again boarded the trolley for North Manchester. In North Manchester, Figert said that the relay will start at Manchester University, go through town and to Warvel Park for a small celebration before ending up at the Public Safety Building to board Trolley No. 85 back to Wabash. MiBash News had a chance to talk to Figert on Wednesday and he describes how special the torch relay really is.
He went on to say that he expects the torch will arrive back into Wabash around 6:45 or 7 pm that Wednesday. And that is when a celebration will take place at Paradise Spring Park which will feature public speakers and songs.
Wabash County torchbearers:
Michael Beauchamp
Brady Burgess
Jabin Burnworth
Jason Callahan
Jon Foor
Steve Ford
Sam Frazier
Christopher Garber*
Jeff Hawkins
Sally Krouse
Clint Kugler
Scott Long
Dave McFadden
Mike Pyle
Natalie Unger
*Denotes posthumous selection.