[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[November 27, 1996]
[Page 2156]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation Ceremony
November 27, 1996

    Please sit down. You can hear I'm hoarse. I just got back from a 
long trip. But if you'll bear with me, I will--I'll do my best to talk. 
[Laughter]
    I want to, first of all, thank the chairman of the National Turkey 
Federation, Jim Cooper, and his family for bringing the turkey here, all 
the way from Oakwood, Ohio. His Congressman, Representative Paul 
Gillmor, is here; I welcome him as well. I want to thank Stuart Proctor, 
the president of the National Turkey Federation, and Joel Brandenberger, 
the executive director. I want to thank the volunteers and young people 
from the Big Brothers and the Big Sisters program and the Boys and Girls 
Club of America for being here.
    You all know why we're here. Tomorrow 45 million turkeys will play 
the supreme sacrifice for our Thanksgiving. So, continuing a tradition 
begun 50 years ago by President Truman, I am going to keep at least one 
turkey off of the Thanksgiving dinner table by giving a pardon to a 
turkey from Ohio that will now go to the petting zoo that Kidwell Farms 
maintains in Fairfax, Virginia. We can all be grateful, therefore, that 
there will be one less turkey in Washington, DC, tomorrow. [Laughter]
    Let me thank the turkey farmers in Ohio, in my native State of 
Arkansas, and throughout the country for the fine job that they do all 
year long, and say how very grateful I am to see all the children here. 
Now let's pardon this bird.
    Thank you for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 10:35 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House.