Club Calendar

Kiwanis Club of Topeka (Downtown Kiwanis)

3 weeks ago

Current Kiwanis Club of Topeka member Rick Friedstrom, introduced his long-time friend, Jim Hanni, a fellow Kiwanian of the Lawrence club, as our speaker at today’s club meeting. Jim spoke on the Gettysburg Foundation of which he is a Board member. Jim reminded us that President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was 272 words long and last only two minutes. His speech was part of the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg PA. There are over 1,300 monuments of the Gettysburg Battlefield. A good friend of Jim’s refers to the grounds as “America’s hallowed ground.” A new Museum and Visitors Center (MVC) was approved years ago but was not subsidized and funds were finally raised in 2009 by the Gettysburg Foundation. And because the building is owned by the Foundation, it is not affected by the Government shutdown. Yes, it is OPEN!. Thel “painting in the round originally housed in the Cyclorama Building is now housed in the MVC after them bringing in experts from Poland to restore the painting. Jim also served to assist with the replanting of the Joseph Shery Peach Orchard in 2008. Housed in the MVC are artifacts from the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia PA, including swords, painting, uniforms, and saddles ridden on by General John Reynolds. The George Spangler Farm Barn was originally a field hospital and currently has demonistrations of use of tools and procedures used in the war. Also at the Gettysburg grounds are the Little Round Top (in rehabilitation), Eisenhower National Historic Site (Ike & Mamie’s retirement home), Klingel Farmhouse which was in the middle of the battlefield. The next rehabilitation will be the National Cemetery Fence around our country’s first national cemetery. Jim estimated the attendance yearly at 750,000 for the battleground and 450,000 for the MVC. He also suggested those wanting more information check out the book, “A Gift from America”. Special thank you to Jim Hanni for providing such a wonderfully informative meeting.
FYI…Rick Friedstrom and Jim Hanni were childhood buddies who both mowed lawns at young boys. Rick said they would often talk at church on how to keep their lawnmowers running. 😊 And they even kind of look alike after over 65 years of friendship. Rick is in the black sweater while Jim is in the blue shirt. ... See MoreSee Less