Gathered in Gratitude, United in Purpose
I hope you and yours had a blessed Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is a day when millions of Americans pause, gather, and connect. For many, Thanksgiving carries a complicated history, and it has a different meaning and significance for each of us. For some, it is a time for celebration and coming together, and for others, the entire day is a painful reminder. It is important to recognize that truth.
The last Thursday of the month has not always been Thanksgiving. And the path to making it a national holiday is long and layered. The commonly known story of Thanksgiving began in November 1621. Since then, Thanksgiving has been observed in myriad forms and has carried countless meanings.
George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789 to celebrate the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. From there, New York became the first state to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday in 1817. Other states soon followed New York’s example, but each state celebrated Thanksgiving on a different day. That is, until 1846, when Sarah Josepha Hale led the push for a national celebration, and her efforts culminated in a national Thanksgiving holiday in 1863.
President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday during the Civil War in an effort to improve relations between the North and South. Lincoln initially designated the final Thursday in November for the holiday, but it was temporarily altered in 1939. President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to boost Depression-era spending. Naturally, this sparked controversy, and Congress ultimately established Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November in 1941.
Today, Thanksgiving looks different for everyone, with each family celebrating in their own unique way—but ultimately, we gather for a purpose. And this past holiday weekend reminded me of the power we carry when we choose to move forward together.
So, let’s give thanks and move forward together! There are plenty of ways you can get involved this holiday season, and I encourage you to join me in celebrating Giving Tuesday! This season, I am supporting two incredible organization—Toys for Tots & Food and Shelter in Norman.
Toys for Tots: Donate a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots for kids from newborn to 13. Books and gifts for older kids—like sporting goods or electronics—are especially appreciated! Help us fill our donation boxes!
Food and Shelter: pick up a $10 fast-food gift card for Food and Shelter and bring it by the campaign headquarters. We will collect these contributions and deliver them to Food and Shelter so that we can bring some small joy to someone’s life this holiday season.
You can bring your gift to Yellow Dog Coffee Company on Tuesday, December 2, at 6:30 p.m. and stick around for my second town hall. Or you can drop it off at the campaign headquarters, Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The final day to drop off your contribution is December 18. I hope you will join me in spreading joy, living selflessly, and helping our fellow Americans—can I count on you?
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