Statehood Day celebration Feb. 11 at state Capitol
Officials, members of the public welcome to commemorate
Arizona’s 98th birthday

PHOENIX – Arizona 's birthday is coming.

The 98th anniversary of Arizona's statehood will be commemorated Feb. 11 at the Arizona Capitol Museum , inside the historic Capitol building at 1700 W. Washington St., in Phoenix . The 30-minute ceremony will begin at noon inside the restored Senate Chambers on the third floor. The public is invited.

Statehood Day is traditionally celebrated on Feb. 14 to mark the day that Arizona became a state in 1912. Since Feb. 14 falls on a Sunday this year, the occasion will be commemorated Feb. 11.

Secretary of State Ken Bennett will be the master of ceremonies for the Statehood Day program, which will include a proclamation issued by Gov. Jan Brewer. Also to be announced is the recipient of the 2010 Polly Rosenbaum Award. Rosenbaum – who passed away in 2003 – served 45 years in the Arizona Legislature, and was renowned for her support of education and libraries. The “Polly Award” – given last year to state Rep. Jack Brown and longtime Salt River Project official and community leader Jack Pfister – is presented to the public official who has most supported the mission and work of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.

Following presentation of the “Polly Award,” Secretary Bennett will announce the winners of this year's Polly Rosenbaum Writing Contest. The contest, sponsored by Arizona Public Service, is administered by the Arizona Educational Foundation and open to students statewide in grades 7-12. This year's topic: “Count me in: Why the Census matters.” Eleven honorees have been selected out of 133 entries.

For more information on the 2010 Statehood Day celebration and the Arizona State Library Archives and Public Records, visit www.lib.az.us.

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