KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? An effort to raise $1 million for a Lewis and Clark bicentennial event next year is about halfway to its goal.

The Wyandotte County Bicentennial Lewis and Clark Task Force and the Friends of the Kaw have received a $400,000 commitment from the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., for a project at Kaw Point. Kaw Point is the place in eastern Kansas City, Kan., where the Kansas and Missouri rivers meet.

That commitment increased the money raised to about a half-million dollars, said Shari Wilson, chairwoman of the task force.

The money will be used to build a historic park to commemorate Lewis and Clark’s encampment 200 years ago at Kaw Point and for the Kansas Riverkeeper program.

“I think the UG is really excited about this project and the opportunity to let people rediscover our rivers and hopefully spearhead some more development down by the riverfront,” Wilson said. “We kind of have a public-private partnership. It’s largely citizen-driven, and I think that’s been very positive as well.”

The park at Kaw Point will include an education center, a boat ramp with river access, trails and reconstruction of the redoubt built by the expedition as a temporary fortification, Wilson said.

Since Lewis and Clark spent three days in the city 200 years ago, many visitors retracing the trail are expected to visit from June 26-29 in 2004.

That month, Kansas City, Kan., will play host to one of the national events held along the Lewis and Clark trail.

The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, which is re-enacting the journey, will make a camp in the city, erect a temporary fort and re-enact the activities of 1804.

Atchison also plans a Lewis and Clark celebration in 2004 on the Fourth of July, 200 years to the day that Lewis and Clark camped there.

Friends of the Kaw, founded in 1994, is concerned with restoring and maintaining the Kansas River as a recreational and wildlife corridor.

A fund-raising event is scheduled at Union Station on May 1. It will include the first public unveiling of the plans for the Lewis and Clark Historic Park.