The second T-County History Patriot Rally for kids is scheduled for Saturday, February 25th from 10am to 4pm at New Towne Mall in New Philadelphia.

Last year’s event was a great success with over 2,000 in attendance.  This special family free event was planned to get kids inspired about history, and the Steering Committee is excited for the second rally with a theme of “Make Fun of History.”

Last year, attendees celebrated the theme “Rock Your History” with a dazzling flash mob performance by New Philadelphia and Dover High School Choir students singing ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’.  There will again be a surprise performance at the Rally this year back in the food court!

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum Director Wendy Zucal shares that this event was specifically developed to create awareness and enthusiasm in kids for local history.  “The overall guiding mission is to get kids engaged in history and to create stakeholders in our youth who will grow up to protect our precious historic attractions for posterity.”

The Rally will feature living history, demonstrations and historical displays from over 25 museums.  The popular scavenger hunt will once again be back that leads children through activities at each museum station and ultimately enters them in to a drawing for many prizes, including an iPad sponsored by Tuscarawas Valley Heritage, Inc.

“You can’t walk away from the T-County Patriot Rally without being charged up and excited about history,” said library director Michelle McMorrow Ramsell.  “We are excited to join in the historical celebration at the library’s booth.”

The Tuscarawas County Public Library will have craft stations featuring dream catchers and rag dolls. In honor of the nineteenth century traveling photographers, the library will have two vintage photo booths where kids can take home a souvenir vintage photo of themselves dressed in period costumes. Historical photographer Matthew Brady will visit with kids and share stories of his life as a traveling photographer. The library’s booth will feature interactive iPad stations loaded with historical apps and a matching game where kids will be challenged to match Facebook posts to the historical characters who posted them.

Other historical characters expected to attend the Patriot Rally include Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Clara Barton and Dennison’s WWI hero Private Bulldog Bing!

There will be reenactors from the Revolutionary War era, Civil War, and both WWI and II as well.  Demonstrations include butter churning, corn grinding, wood carving, Moravian Star making and more!

New this year will be two contests for kids to participate in: The Historical Look-a-Like Contest and The History Catch Phrase Game.  Both contests will be broken into two age groups:  fourth through eighth grade and ninth through twelfth grade with prizes awarded at each level.

To participate in the Look-a-Like Contest, kids can simply dress up as their favorite historical character and register to win at the Rally.  No advance registration is required.  Awards will be given for Best Single Character, Best Couple and Best Historical Moment.  A historical moment can include a scene, speech, or song that portrays the historical character.  Information on this Contest is available at both the Depot or Tuscarawas County Public Library in New Philadelphia. Judging for the Contest will be at 11 at the Rally.

For Historical Catch Phrase, teams of two can sign up first-come, first- serve at the Rally. Only twenty teams will play, ten in grades fourth through eighth, and ten in grades ninth through twelfth.  Information for these contests will also be available at the Depot and Library.  Judging for this contest will be at 2pm.

The first 500 kids to arrive at the Rally will receive free backpacks sponsored by First National Free filled with greats for the kids.  T-shirts, cookies and crafts are other items children will receive, in additional to the prize opportunities. All can participate in a Scavenger Hunt that has a multitude of activities provide by each museum as well as giveaways at the tables.

New this year will also be gift bags for the first 100 school teachers as well as field trip grant information at the Tuscarawas Valley Heritage Table that will be located in the center of the mall near Kitchen Collection.  Teachers can also participate in a special Basket Raffle of School Prizes.

Zucal also shared “it is our great hope that teachers will encourage students to participate.  We have prepared special certificates for extra credit that will be given when the scavenger hunt is completed and we hope most teachers will honor them.”

The event is FREE and made possible through the support of corporate sponsors including WTUZ Radio, the First National Bank of Dennison, Tuscarawas County Public Library System, Dominion, Kent State University, Tuscarawas Campus and New Towne Mall.

The Dennison Depot received an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2011 from the Ohio Local History Alliance which recognized the Patriot Rally an outstanding event in Ohio for youth and model for other museums to copy.

For more information, families and kids are encouraged to contact the Depot at 740-922-6776 or email director@dennisondepot.org.   Any organization wishing to participate and reach out to our area youth is also encouraged to contact the Depot.

Kids can also get involved and receive updates by joining the T-County History Patriots Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TCountyPatriots.  For children not permitted to use Facebook, they can receive information as well by using the email address above.