Cover of the Program for the Launch of the Everglades Quarter

Hubby and I had an interesting experience yesterday when we and a very large group of people attended the official launch for the new quarter from the U.S. Mint that features the Everglades National Park. Now that all the states have their quarters, there is a category for America the Beautiful and there will be 56 – one for each state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories. (That’s American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin Islands for those who may not be familiar with the territories). The governors are the ones who determine which iconic site will be featured on the quarter and Governor Scott selected the Everglades. We, of course, all agree with that as more than 1,000,000 visitors come from around the country and the world every year to see our River of Grass.

It was a very well-run ceremony and the City should be fully credited with the way they managed the nearly 1,000 people who attended and that included participation by ten different schools. The schools had participated in each entering a “quilt” with squares drawn/painted by students in a competition to see which best depicted the Everglades. The South Dade High School Band played rousing music as their cheerleaders performed some routines. The 482d Fighter Wing Color Guard presented the colors and the various speeches were brief. In a wonderful gesture, each student present was given one of the new quarters and that was done in a manner that any event planner would have approved of. Oh, the date for the ceremony was almost the anniversary of when the Everglades was designated as a National Park – that was December 6, 1947.

Community Bank was on hand with rolls of the new quarters; one roll at a minimum to buy and a maximum of ten rolls. They, too, were set up very efficiently despite Mother Nature sending one of those hard, fairly short showers. Oh well, I’ve been wetter for less worthy causes.