A Major League Baseball (MLB) game on Tuesday kicked off a three-year celebration leading up to the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.
The Fourth of July game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers launched the “America’s Invitation” campaign from the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, a nonpartisan commission established by Congress to plan the country’s 250th anniversary.
“America’s 250th anniversary belongs to all of us, and we want everyone to have the opportunity to be a part of it,” Commission Chair Rosie Rios, the former Treasurer of the United States, said in a press release for Tuesday’s kickoff event.
“That’s why we’re launching the countdown to 2026 with America’s Invitation: an invitation for all Americans to share their own unique American stories and their hopes for our future,” she added.
The commission will host commemorative events in every state and territory over the next three years, leading up to July 4, 2026, according to the press release.
“There’s no better backdrop than right here in Milwaukee, at American Family Field, with the Brewers-Cubs and America’s pastime serving to kick-start this inspiring initiative,” Rick Schlesinger, the president of business operations at the Brewers, said in the release.
Tuesday’s game between the rival teams is the second in a four-game series. The Brewers beat the Cubs 8-6 in the first game of the series on Monday.