HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- West Virginia is celebrating its 149th birthday Wednesday, and Wayne Worth wants to make sure everyone remembers.

For the 8th straight year, Worth is spending the day sitting next to the road waving his state pride.

Wednesday morning took his life-sized birthday card to the corner of 5th Avenue and 8th Street in Huntington for everyone to see.

Worth says he wants everyone to realize that they are part of the celebration and the state's heritage.

“When you celebrate one's birthday, you celebrate one's history and for us this is kind of like all out birthdays, every one of us contributes to West Virginia's history somehow," Worth said.

Worth says he made the card from pictures he took during visits to every county in the state.

West Virginia joined the Union as the 35th state on June 20, 1863.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will cut a birthday cake at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Capitol in Charleston.

Other activities include Civil War re-enactors at Fort Boreman Historic Park in Wood County and guided tours of Independence Hall in Wheeling.

Wednesday also is the 80th anniversary of the dedication of the Capitol building.

Plans for the sesquicentennial haven't been finalized yet. But Division of Culture and History spokeswoman Caryn Gresham says Wednesday's activities will serve as a kickoff for a yearlong celebration.