Colorado Springs is gearing up for a series of summer events to mark the dual anniversaries of the state and the United States.

Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, former Mayor John Suthers and a handful of other officials launched the countdown on the shore of North Catamount Reservoir on Thursday morning.

Mobolade said he hosted the launch in the windy shadow of Pikes Peak to highlight the region’s place in the national identity born from “America the Beautiful.”

“Colorado Springs stands in a place where the American story has long been experienced, imagined and inspired,” Mobolade said.

The America 250-Colorado 150 Commission is overseeing a series of events this year to celebrate the two anniversaries. Thursday began a 100-day countdown until the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s statehood, as well as 72 days until the Fourth of July, marking the 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Mobolade and Nathan Richie, co-chair of the America 250-Colorado 150 Commission, said they hope that the events would bring people together in celebration and honor of the historic progress.

“Like any major milestone or birthday, it makes you take a pause. Those big round numbers are an opportunity to reflect. What have I been doing? Am I where I want to be? Am I who I want to be? What do I want to do in the future? It’s the same for the state and the country, too,” Richie said.

Colorado Springs will host a series of commemorative events in-town and at the summit of Pikes Peak. The mountain will offer limited sunset visits during the summer in addition to the sunrise tours that are returning. Special programs will be held at the mountaintop on July 4 and Aug. 1, including an attempt at a potential Guinness World Record.

The Pikes Peak Visitors Center will also feature a special display of one of explorer Zebulon Pike’s journals, on loan from the National Archives through a partnership between Pikes Peak-America’s Mountain and the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. Museum curator Leah Davis Witherow said the journal would later be shown in the museum as part of a temporary exhibit.

On Aug. 1, the Pioneers Museum and Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site will offer events for families to participate in the statehood anniversary. The museum event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the Rock Ledge Ranch event following from 2 to 8 p.m.

Suthers, a board member for the Daniels Fund, which provides grants and college scholarships in Colorado and neighboring states, said the fund wanted to use the historic milestone to increase focus on civics education and investment in “civics bees” across the country for students.

“The reality is that if you don’t understand how our government works, you can’t be an effective and responsible participant in it. And you won’t be able to effectively respond to those who might want to take it in the wrong direction,” Suthers said.

At Thursday’s event, Phil Long Dealerships President and CEO Kevin Shaughnessy presented a $25,000 check to the state commission to support this year’s events.

Richie said that in addition to holding celebratory events and exhibits for the anniversaries, the commission would lead a push to add 150 landmarks to the State Register of Historic Properties and install roadside markers across the state to highlight other important locations.