Dear Friend,
Even in the midst of so many challenges, we pause to give thanks on this important American holiday.
We are thankful for the resilience and ingenuity of Delawareans, who view the challenges we face as opportunities that must be seized to move our state forward.
Thankfully, we are a state of neighbors, full of citizens willing to give of themselves to help others in need and build a better Delaware. As I joined a number of Jaycees and friends of West End Neighborhood House on Saturday handing out food baskets and turkeys, I realized once again how fortunate we are to have so many people in Delaware who put others first.
Thanksgiving is also a day to celebrate our state’s cultural diversity. We are proud to have two Native American tribes in Delaware — the Lenape and the Nanticoke — who have been giving thanks for their annual harvests for thousands of years. Our diversity will also be on display in front of millions of spectators and television viewers when the dancers from Chinese American Community Center in Hockessin highlight their heritage during the Macy’s Parade in New York City. I look forward to seeing these dancers – as well as Kent County’s George Gallo, Noah Link and Brandon Rhone, who will be playing their trumpets in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band – make Delaware proud.
As we sit down to dinner this Thanksgiving, let us remember those who are not with their families to carve turkeys. We are grateful to the men and women in the military, who are risking their lives every day to protect our freedom and the ideals that drew the first settlers to Jamestown and Plymouth Rock. We are also thankful for Delaware’s first responders who are spending the holiday keeping our communities safe instead of feasting with their families.
This Thanksgiving is a difficult one for so many in our state and country who are out of work and struggling to get by. As we work hard to rebuild our economy, we also take a moment to give thanks for that which we do have and for all of those who give of their own time and treasure to ease the burden for those who struggle.
Sincerely,
Gov. Jack Markell
