    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [November 22, 2005]
    [Pages 1760-1761]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation Ceremony
    November 22, 2005

        Thank you all. Welcome to the White House. Thank you for coming this
    afternoon. It's a pleasure to be able to introduce you, soon, to the
    National Thanksgiving Turkey. His name is Marshmallow. [Laughter] The
    alternative turkey's name is Yam. [Laughter] He's around here somewhere.
    He's not going to be in this room. He's in a pickup truck hanging out by
    the South Lawn. [Laughter]

        This is what we call--the White House is called the people's house,
    and we're going to call Marshmallow and Yam the people's turkeys. They
    made it here through a democratic process. There was a nationwide
    election on the White House web site. In the end, the voters made the
    choice, and it was a close election. You might say it was neck and neck.
    [Laughter]
        I'm going to grant a pardon this afternoon, and the pardon I grant
    comes with a new measure of responsibility and fame for Marshmallow and
    Yam. In the past years, the turkeys I spared went on to lead lives of
    leisure at Frying Pan Park in the State of Virginia. This year is going
    to be a little different. Marshmallow and Yam were a little skeptical
    about going to a place called Frying Pan Park. I don't blame them. So
    I'm proud to announce that Marshmallow and Yam will serve as honorary
    grand marshals at Disneyland's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And they'll go
    on to spend the rest of their natural lives at Disneyland.
        The granting of the turkey pardon is not a responsibility that I
    take lightly, and I want to thank all of those who helped plan today's
    event. I appreciate the efforts of

    [[Page 1761]]

    those of you from the National Turkey Federation, especially Chairman
    Pete Rothfork and President Alice
    Johnson. Welcome. Glad you all are here. I
    want to thank James and Vicki Trites from Trites Farm in Henning, Minnesota. Where are they,
    the Trites? There they are, right there. Welcome. Thanks for coming. I
    know that Marshmallow and Yam are going to feel pretty good strutting
    around sunny California, remembering the cold days of Minnesota.
    [Laughter] Glad you all are here.
        We've also got some other special guests in the audience who
    exemplify the spirit of Thanksgiving. And those are the students from
    Clarksville Elementary School, from Clarksville, Maryland. Anybody here
    from Clarksville Elementary? Welcome. We're glad you're here. Thanks for
    coming. These students raised more than $17,000 for the Red Cross fund
    to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. Thanks a lot for your hard work in
    helping somebody else. They're here with the assistant principal, Amy
    Green. I suspect some teachers and parents are
    here with them. Thank you all for teaching. Thanks for being good
    parents. Their compassion and dedication show the good heart of our
    country, and I'm proud you all are here at the White House.
        Thanksgiving is a holiday rooted in the American spirit of gratitude
    and sharing. We see this spirit in America today. When the communities
    along the gulf coast were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Americans
    came together to provide help for their neighbors in need. It was a
    remarkable outpouring of compassion and generosity. That outpouring of
    compassion demonstrated once again that the great strength of our
    country lies in the hearts and souls of our citizens.
        We also give thanks on Thanksgiving for our many blessings, and we
    thank those who are far away from home who protect our freedoms. It's
    through the courage and skill of our Armed Forces that we're safe as a
    nation, and we're very proud of their service.
        We think of our military families who will have an empty seat at the
    table this Thanksgiving. The American people are thankful for the
    sacrifice of the American military families as well. America's men and
    women in uniform and their families have our gratitude, not only on
    Thanksgiving but on every day.
        Our guest of honor seems about ready to come on in and say hello. So
    without further ado, I grant Marshmallow and Yam a Presidential pardon.
    In the meantime, may God bless you all and your families during this
    Thanksgiving season.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:11 p.m. in Presidential Hall at the
    Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The Thanksgiving Day
    proclamation of November 18 is listed in Appendix D at the end of this
    volume.