It's an annual tradition for a foundation steeped in heritage on Monday. And this one's a milestone.

The Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, a nonprofit organization that manages Fort Mandan and the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. There will be a dinner, a speech by Sister Thomas Welder from the University of Mary, a tribute to former governor and wife Art and Grace Link and a keynote address by humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson.

Jenkinson's speech, "Is the party over? What's next?" will focus on the future of the foundation, the growing popularity of heritage tourism in North Dakota and the legacy and future influences of Lewis and Clark in the community.

"The bicentennial is behind us, so now we have a new platform, a new point to move forward," foundation president Dave Borlaug said. "We've built the infrastructure."

The foundation has established itself through state, federal and private support, gaining the attention of tourisim in North Dakota.

Jenkinson's speech will conclude with a tribute to the Links. The Links have been longtime supporters of the Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation and this is the foundation's thank you to the decades of service the Links have performed.

"Link's leadership led to the stewardship of the coal industry, but he still recognized the importance of the environment," Borlaug said.

The 10th anniversary dinner will provide a sneak preview of a special project to those in attendance. It will reveal exactly what moving into the post-bicentennial means for the foundation and the community. The project will be unveiled to the community in the spring.

The Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation aims to preserve and educate tourists with the stories of the Lewis and Clark expedition and their winter stay at Fort Mandan from 1804 to 1805, the riverboat era and the people who inhabited the land surrounding the Missouri River during the pioneer settlement of the 1800s.

"This is only the beginning of what's to come," Borlaug said.

Tickets are no longer available for this event, but look for upcoming events online at http://www.fortmandan.com.