[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 47 (Monday, November 25, 2002)]
[Pages 2072-2073]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7628--Thanksgiving Day, 2002

 November 21, 2002

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    In celebration of Thanksgiving Day 1902, President Theodore 
Roosevelt wrote, ``Rarely has any people enjoyed greater prosperity than 
we are now enjoying. For this we render heartfelt and solemn thanks to 
the Giver of Good; and we seek to praise Him--not by words only--but by 
deeds, by the way in which we do our duty to ourselves and to our fellow 
men.'' President Roosevelt's words gracefully remind us that, as 
citizens of this great Nation, we have much for which to be thankful; 
and his timeless call inspires us to meet our responsibilities to help 
those in need and to promote greater understanding at home and abroad.
    As the Pilgrims did almost four centuries ago, we gratefully give 
thanks this year for the beauty, abundance, and opportunity this great 
land offers. We also thank God for the blessings of freedom and 
prosperity; and, with gratitude and humility, we acknowledge the 
importance of faith in our lives.
    Throughout the Thanksgiving holiday, let us renew our commitment to 
make our country and our world better. As we welcome new opportunities 
and face new challenges, we are thankful for the resolve and generosity 
of so many of our people who are touching countless hearts and souls 
through thoughtful acts of kindness. By answering the call to serve 
others, Americans are building a culture of service that strengthens our 
Nation. We also honor and salute the selfless sacrifice of the brave men 
and women of our Armed Forces who are defending our lives and liberty at 
home and abroad with skill, honor, and dedication.
    This Thanksgiving, we recognize the ties of friendship and respect 
that bind us together. And we renew our pledge to uphold the timeless 
principles of freedom, equality, and opportunity that have made our 
country into a great Nation. By working together, we will continue to 
build mutual trust, peace,

[[Page 2073]]

and hope for all across this land and around the world.
    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and 
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 28, 
2002, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage Americans to gather 
in their homes, places of worship, and community centers to share the 
spirit of understanding and unity, and of prayer, as we express our 
thanks for the many blessings we enjoy. I also encourage Americans to 
reach out in friendship to the larger family of humankind.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first 
day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
seventh.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:47 a.m., November 25, 
2002]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on November 22, and it will be published in the Federal 
Register on November 26.