9 September 2005

Governor presents new Kansas Quarter to the State

At the annual Governor’s Day at the Fair, Governor Kathleen Sebelius led the celebration of the official launch of the Kansas Quarter into distribution.

“We first asked Kansans to send in their ideas for the Kansas Quarter back in July 2003,” Governor Sebelius said. “We were looking for a way to represent our state’s heritage, our traditions, our past and future, all in a space a little less than an inch in diameter. But Kansans are creative, and we received more than 1,500 submissions from people young and old.”

The chosen design for the commemorative quarter, “Buffalo and Sunflowers,” features a buffalo, the state animal, and a sunflower, the state flower. The buffalo is celebrating its 50th year as the state animal, chosen in 1955, while the sunflower has been the state flower for over 100 years. These symbols are emblematic of the heartland’s rich history, natural beauty and bright future.

Governor Sebelius said, “With two of our state’s symbols, the buffalo and the sunflower, the Kansas quarter celebrates our state’s past and is a representation of the heritage and traditions of our state.”

The event featured music by the Prairie Rose Wranglers, a horse-riding demonstration by Wild Women of the Frontier and a salute to the 150th anniversary of the Kansas National Guard. Guests included Bill Kurtis, PBS host and native Kansan; Dennis Rogers, Native American dancer and storyteller; David Lebryk, United States Mint Acting Director; and a live North American Buffalo.

Immediately following the program all school children (ages 18 and under) received a newly minted Kansas State Quarter, compliments of the United States Mint. After the program, attendees could obtain a roll of 40 newly minted Kansas Quarters in exchange for $10 (cash only), or purchase the limited edition Kansas Commemorative Quarter Sets for $5 on the landing to the right of the stage. Central Bank and Trust Co., Hutchinson, was the sponsoring state bank for the event and hosted the coin exchange.

“A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the commemorative coin sets today will be used to help children who are victims of Hurricane Katrina. There are thousands of kids who have been affected by the hurricane, and as we welcome some of them to Kansas, we want to let all of them know they are in our hearts and prayers,” Governor Sebelius said.

In June of 2003, Governor Sebelius, in cooperation with the Kansas Legislature, announced the creation of the Kansas Commemorative Coin Commission to narrow the search for Kansas’ quarter design to four finalists. These four designs were submitted to the state’s high school students to vote on the design which best represents the State of Kansas.