CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL - Crazy Horse Memorial will come to life June 26 with a fiery night blast to celebrate the 82nd birthday of Ruth Ziolkowski, president and CEO of Crazy Horse. The blast also will commemorate the 132nd anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, where Oglala Lakota leader Crazy Horse was a main strategist in defeating Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and his troops on June 25, 1876.

After 6 p.m. that evening, the memorial will accept three cans of food per person for the KOTA Care & Share Food Drive in lieu of the memorial's regular admission fee.

At 8:45 p.m., there will be a program on the viewing deck followed by the spectacular "Legends in Light" multimedia laser light show. The 563-foot Crazy Horse mountain carving will come to life as it becomes a magnificent backdrop as laser lights dance to music on the mountain side illuminating our cultural diversity, celebrating our similarities and encouraging understanding and harmony among all people.

The special birthday presentation will include a surprise special laser feature to honor Mrs. Ziolkowski.

At 10 p.m., there will be a spectacular blast in honor of Ruth's 82nd birthday (weather permitting) along with some special effects to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first blast on the mountain in 1948.

The pyrotechnic display features a rapid-fire series of intense explosions, representing giant candles that will echo through the Black Hills as if there were hundreds of thundering drums playing on the mountain.

The night blast on the mountain carving is one of the most popular events at Crazy Horse Memorial. The public is advised to arrive early and to expect heavy traffic on Highway 16-385 in the vicinity of the memorial between Hill City and Custer.

There are only two night blasts on Crazy Horse mountain throughout the year: Ruth's birthday on June 26 and on Sept. 6, in observance of the 1877 death of Lakota leader Crazy Horse and the 1908 birth of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski.

For more information on Crazy Horse and upcoming events, visit www.crazyhorsememorial.org or call (605) 673-4681.